PENGASSAN threatens to make a bad situation worse

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), one of the country’s two main oil unions, has threatened to stage a nationwide strike from December 18 over “mass sacking of workers” in the sector.

The union said in a statement that it disputed the treatment of its workers by domestic oil and gas companies and marginal field operators. There had been “an apparent failure of relevant authorities of government to call to order these recalcitrant organisations,” it said.

PENGASSAN in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, singled Neconde Energy Ltd (of Nestoil Group of companies) as one of the companies that has entrenched unfriendly labour practices in contravention of the nation’s labour laws.

The union is asking the government to compel the company to recall all sacked workers within seven days and stick to the nation’s labour laws, adding that failure to do that, the union will have no other option than to call out its members on a nationwide indefinite strike action.

The impending PENGASSAN strike threatens to make an already bad situation worse going by the ongoing scarcity of petroleum products across the country.

Last week, most of the Petrol filling stations across the country were shut down due to non-availability of premium motor spirit, otherwise known as Petrol because some of the filling stations belonging to members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) increased the pump price of a litre of petrol from N145 to N150 according to an earlier report by BusinessDay.

Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, said the major cause of the fuel scarcity currently being witnessed across the country is shortfall in supply of petroleum products.

But the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the prevailing scarcity of petroleum products across the country. National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement, said the timing of the scarcity was not lost on the people as it was intended to maximise pain and profit at Christmas season because of the biggest movement of people, goods and services.

While the scarcity may have abated especially in Lagos and Abuja, the looming strike by PENGASSAN reverse efforts by the government to ensure availability of petroleum products especially during this yuletide season.

FRANK UZUEGBUNAM