Fuel Scarcity Looms As PENGASSAN Threatened To Embark On 3-Day Nationwide Warning Strike!

Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened to embark on three days nationwide warning strike over what it described as unfair labour practices, misadministration of national content laws and employment situation in the oil and gas industry.

The union has also resolved to use the period of the warning strike which takes effect from April 16 to embark on mass campaign and advocacy to bring the attention of the public to the issues in the sector which according to it paints very glooming picture for the entire nation.


The union, while notifying the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, of the impending strike lamented the alarming rate of unfair labour practices, anti-union activities and the unsavory approach of the relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the oil and gas industry in addressing the reported issues.

Specifically, the union expressed displeasure over the mass disengagement of workers as well as the migration of workers to contract staffing and casuals in the downstream oil and gas products marketing and distribution sectors.

The letter signed by PENGASSAN General Secretary, Mr. Bayo Olowoshile, explained that most companies in the downstream oil sector have disengaged members inherited upon privatisation.

The union also raised the alarm over the unfair labour practices and anti-union activities of companies in Onne Free Trade Zone. The oil workers’ union further lamented government’s failure to engage PENGASSAN on issues in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before final passage.

The union also drew the minister’s attention to government’s insensitivity in handling the Fuel Subsidy Removal Re-investment Programme thereby forestalling the anticipated stimulation of investment and business growth.

Other issues raised by the union include Police authority’s failure to provide PENGASSAN the Reports on its findings on the killings of two members of NPDC suspected to have been gruesomely killed by unknown assailant at police check-point, lack of readiness on the part of National Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to engage PENGASSAN on its activities and its implementation guidelines, government insincerity in handling Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), national refineries and lack of access of oil workers to NHF despite years of contribution.

Excerpt of the letter:

“We write to notify the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity on the frustration and displeasure of our members in general and the Association in particular over the alarming rate of unfair labour practices, anti-union activities and the unsavoury approach of the relevant Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) in appropriately attending to the reported issues.”  

Arising from the above, we hereby notify you of a 3-day nationwide warning strike that would necessitate total withdrawal of all our members from work locations with effect from Monday, April 16, 2012.  

We find it pertinent to intimate the Honourable Minister some key ones amongst the issues that are grievously impairing the mutually beneficial roles and goals but which labour is the primary driver of trade union and as crisis moderator of tripartite in industrial relations are: government abuse of Nigerians trust and office by allocating government land choice property in FCT to themselves and parties and cronies without considering Nigerian workers who are the Tax payers, illegal dissolution of PPPRA board, invariably betraying Nigerian trust and abusing subsidy regime with unrealistic templates, non inclusion of PENGASSAN on Boards/Committee dealing with oil industry issues, insensitive removal of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), a strategic institution of the oil industry from the (provisions of the PIB), non-committed efforts towards transition of Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) to Petroleum Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF). 

PENGASSAN, despite being unappreciated, undermined and chastised persistently tried to maintain relative calm in the hope that Government is fully committed, focused and utmostly working in the manner that will either caution, discourage or prevent the high rate of jobs losses, unfair labour practices, anti-union activities and misadministration of national content laws to the detriment of our nationals and employment situation in the industry.  

PENGASSAN has now resolved to embark on mass campaign and advocacy to bring the attention of the Nigeria public to the issues in the Nigeria Oil & Gas which point very glooming picture for the entire nation”.