PENGASSAN Suspends Planned Strike

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its planned three days warning strike fixed to commence today.

The suspension followed the Federal Government’s agreement to meet some of the demands of PENGASSAN at the meeting with the Minister of Labour and productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu last Thursday.

The planned strike of the oil workers was to protest unfair labour practices and anti-union activities by oil companies in the Niger Delta region.

The National Industrial Relations Officer of PENGASSAN, Comrade Chika Onuegbu told journalist after the meeting with the minister that the federal government and PENGASSAN had resolved that a stakeholders forum would be organised within the next two months.

His words: “One good resolution that has been reached is that there will be a stakeholders meeting that will be organised within the next two months and this is because  stakeholders meeting is what we actually want to hold because the last one was held in July 2004 and since then there has been no stakeholders meeting.”

The meeting, according Onuegbu, will involve the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Heads of Parastatals in the oil and gas industry, the OPPS, PETAN, NOMAN and heads of companies and organisations in the petroleum industry.

The PENGASSAN National Industrial Relations Officer also said that the association had called a national executive council meeting on May 2, to look into the promises made by the federal government.

He, however, warned that PENGASSAN would proceed on a full-scale strike without notice if the Federal Government relents in meeting its promises.

According to him,” that is not to say that will not proceed on the planned strike, that is why we are calling the next meeting on 2nd May to take decision based on the meeting we have held today (Thursday) and between now and 2nd May, if nothing is done, we will go ahead and strike.”

Shedie Okpara