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Oil workers threaten strike over agreement with firms

By on September 4, 2016

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, on Friday, threatened to resume its suspended strike if the Federal Government refused to enforce the implementation of an agreement reached with the association.

PENGASSAN said it had written a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Productivity dated August 22, 2016 and signed by the acting General Secretary, PENGASSAN, Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa, stating that there had not been much progress or commitment to implementing the tenets of the agreement since it was signed over a month ago.

The union urged the minister to intervene so as to avert another round of nationwide strike.

The statement said, “PENGASSAN expressed dismay at the disobedience of the directive from the Federal Government such as the high level of authorities of the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by managements of these companies.”

According to PENGASSAN, the agreement was reached at the end of the conciliation meetings held at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment with PENGASSAN, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and other stakeholders on July 12, 14 and 21, 2016 in Abuja.

It said the letter read in part, “It is over a month now since the last communiqué was reached and we can say in summation that no much progress has been achieved. This of course is making our members restive and we are under tremendous pressure to bring about a total resolution of all the contending issues.

“We are constrained, therefore, to note with great dismay that most of the companies are foot-dragging and have resorted to time-wasting tactics in order to deliberately frustrate the process.

“We are, therefore, based on the above, requesting that you use your good office to intervene by calling on the managements of these companies to quickly implement these resolutions as it affects them. Else, we will be left with no alternative but to succumb to the pressure from our members and do what needs to be done in furtherance of our mandate.”

 

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