NUPENG suspends warning strike

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday night called off its three-day warning strike after a meeting with the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu.

Announcing the suspension of the strike during a news conference, the NUPENG President, Achese Igwe said the decision to end the industrial action was for the interest of the public and the intervention of Mr Yakubu.

Mr Igwe listed the major issues which had led to the warning strike to include the high level of insecurity in Nigeria, bad state of the roads, rising oil theft in the Niger Delta, non-adherence to guidelines on contract staffing/casualisation in the sector and abuse of expatriate quota.

NUPENG on Monday directed all its members at the depots to stop loading petroleum products for the next three days to protest the alleged inhuman treatment of its members by the management of Chevron, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Agip Oil Company.

The strike was also called to protest the refusal of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to implement the signed collective bargaining agreement with petroleum tanker drivers.

Mr Igwe said if these issues are not quickly resolved, the union will not give further notice to the government before embarking on an indefinite strike.

The NNPC boss pleaded with the management of the three oil companies to rectify the employment status of casual tanker drivers in their organisations.