Fuel Scarcity: Oil Workers Suspend Strike

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,(PENGASSAN)  has suspended its planned nationwide strike after Neconde Energy Limited, an indigenous oil company, agreed to reinstate their dismissed members of the union.

The National President of PENGASSAN, Francis Johnson, who announced the suspension on Monday evening, said it was done in the spirit of the yuletide.

“In the spirit of the yuletide, on behalf of the National Executive Council, NEC, of PENGASSAN, the Central Working Committee, CWC, hereby suspends the nationwide strike with immediate effect and all members are to resume normal duties immediately,” Johnson said.Neconde had on October 5 sacked Babatunde Animashaun, a Gas Petroleum Engineer and Chairman of the oil company’s Chapter of PENGASSAN. Aside that, the management of the company reportedly engaged in activities the oil workers said were aimed at stifling unionism in Neconde, which propelled the oil marketers to threaten strike action after several protests which did not yield any fruit.The threat issued by PENGASSAN to shut down had however, led to fuel scarcity in many parts of the country in the last few weeks.

During last week’s meeting with the labour minister, Chris Ngige, PENGASSAN alleged anti-union posturing by some indigenous companies and marginal field operators, including Neconde Energy, accusing them of indiscriminate transfer of employees.

At the end of the engagement with both PENGASSAN and Neconde management, the oil firm agreed to recall the sacked union leader and allow its employees to belong to unions of their choice.

The meeting also agreed that all resolutions reached would be subject to reviews after three months, to determine level of adherence by Neconde Energy.

Similarly, the meeting agreed to address alleged anti-union posture of other indigenous and multi-national oil companies, particularly their penchant to resort to abuse of court processes to stall the peaceful resolution of issues affecting workers’ interests.

Johnson added that issues of anti-union posture of the companies must be addressed, by ensuring they abide by the country’s constitution, extant Labour laws and International Labour Organisation conventions by the third week of 2018, to avert a full blown industrial crisis.