NUPENG Embarks On Three-Day Warning Strike

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has embarked on three-day warning strike over government failure to resolve its disputes with Chevron and Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company (SPDC).

A statement signed by union’s National President Comrade Igwe Achese and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, said the union had on June 6 issued a 14-day strike notice to the Federal Government over the disputes with the oil multinational companiesw SPDC, Chevron and Agip Oil Company with regard to inflicting inhuman treatment on members of the union by the companies’ management.

The statement said the federal government had through the Minister of Labour and Productivity intervened to summon a meeting with management of both companies to resolve the dispute without success.

The statement said “the union appreciates the intervention of the minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu in a meeting he headed two weeks ago with the Chevron and SPDC, but it is disappointing that up till now, nothing had been done in the agreement reached at the meeting”.

The union said nothing concrete had been done on the part of Chevron and SPDC to address the issues raised by the union.

The Union said the minister of Labour and Productivity had failed to liaise with the minister of Petroleum Resources to convey a stakeholders’ meeting before the end of this month as promised.

The statement also said that on the issue of non-recognition of the union and stoppage of union dues, Chevron management and the contractor have not shown any commitment to addressing the issue after the 14 day ultimatum.

The union said Nigerians should not blame the union leaders if the union carried out an indefinite strike action within the petroleum sector.