Emerging reports suggest that the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Seniour Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have called off their strike action. Labour unions in Nigeria’s oil sector called off the strike with immediate effect after a late night meeting with Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu the minister of state for petroleum.
The unions had shut offices of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) nationwide following the announcement of its unbundling by Kachikwu.
Kachikwu the group managing director of the NNPC had explained that what the oil corporation did was “reorganization,” a restructuring that will see it split into five divisions. He had announced that he was going to meet the unions yesterday to forestall further action by the unions which may lead to a more biting fuel scarcity across the country.
Daily Post reports that the unions have now resolved to work with the NNPC as long as its workers were not affected in the bundling. An NNPC source who confirmed the development on Thursday, March 10, said: “Please be informed that the unions have shelved their strike.”
“They took the decision after a long meeting with the Minister. “The meeting ended just after 4:30am and had in attendance unions that had kicked against the unbundling. “We believe that with this development, the queues will end.”
Below is a communication from the GECs of NUPENG and PENGASSAN on the development.
“The GECs of NUPENG and PENGASSAN had a marathon meeting with the GMD/Minister of Petroleum (State) and NNPC Top Mgt for several hours, ending this morning @ 4:30am on the on-going industrial action. After exhaustive deliberations, a resolution was signed by the two parties. In view of that, the Industrial action is hereby suspended.
The GEC salutes your solidarity, understanding and cooperation. NUPENGASSAN”. “Details of the communique signed at the end of the meeting will be provided in due course.
“On behalf of the BECs of the two in-house unions, I thank you all for the cooperation and support extended to us during the struggle.” the communique noted.