Oil workers, FG meet over looming strike

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers NUPENG are meeting today, Thursday with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and the Minister of State for  Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu to discuss lasting solutions to the lingering problems in the oil and gas sector.

A statement by the Deputy Director of Press in the Ministry of Labour, Mr Samuel Olowookere disclosed that the meeting would be held at the NNPC Towers, Central Business District, Abuja.

It was learnt that the leadership of PENGASSAN has been meeting since Tuesday to fine tune the details of an industrial action which is expected to shut down all operations and activities in the oil and gas sector of the economy.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the National Public Relations Officer of PENGASSAN, Comrade Emmanuel Ojugbana said that modalities had been adopted for the implementation of the industrial action.

“The action, which will cripple all activities and operations in the oil and gas sector, will affect all the sub sectors as our members in the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Monitoring Board) PEF (MB), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), oil majors, labour and contract services companies, and petroleum products marketing companies will join in the action.

“We strongly appeal for understanding of all Nigerians and operators that will be impacted by the action. The industrial action is critical to the survival of the oil and gas industry, which currently is the mainstay of the nation’s economy.”