Kunle Kalejaye 15 December 2014, Sweetcrude, Lagos – Oil workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, will embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike tomorrow, Monday 15th December, 2014.
The strike, according NUPENG and PENGASSAN, is to protest government’s inability to carried out turn around maintenance on the country’s refineries and to reduce pump prices of petroleum products in line with the drop in global prices of crude oil.
The industrial action is sequel to federal government’s failure to show any sign of meaningful resolution or commitment to resolve oil workers concern within the 14-days ultimatum given to them.
The unions said that all members have been fully mobilised to embark on the strike adding that the protest will not be suspended until there is a strong commitment from the government and affected management/operators to resolve the issues.
In a statement made available by the unions members, the strike will affect all operations in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, as members will be withdrawn from all oil and gas installations.
Union leaders in the oil and gas industry hope that the strike will also ensure that government evolves new strategies to combat pipeline vandalisation and crude oil theft that have impacted negatively on the nation’s economy and employment.
Other reasons for the strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN include delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, non -implementation of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD)Act to reflect Nigerians in management positions and expatriate quota law, appalling state of access roads to refineries and oil depots’ facilities, insecurity all over the country that has led to the death of their members, appointments in government agencies in disregards to succession planning, compulsory deduction from workers’ salaries for the National Housing Fund (NHF), casualisation and contract staffing and unfair labour practice by companies and government agencies.