Nigeria: NUPENG, Pengassan Threaten to Cut Fuel Supply Nationwide

Abuja — Another petroleum products scarcity may be looming nationwide, as the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have jointly threatened to disrupt production and distribution of petroleum products.

Part of their grievances, Sunday Independent learnt, is connected with Federal Government's failure to address issues of constant victimisation of their members by various employers in the oil and gas sector.

The two oil industry unions, at their joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, late on Friday night, said they would shut down the oil and gas industry if after 14 days, their sacked members were not reinstated by their respective organisations, while also demanding for the reversing of transfer of some union leaders.

The unions also noted that within the 14 days the Federal Government must address lingering issues of pipeline vandalism, terrorism, bad state of major roads and 2015 elections amongst others or face an indefinite strike.

PENGASSAN President, Francis Johnson, told journalists during the NEC that failure of the members of the House of Representatives to speedily pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) after its recess would be greeted with a nationwide protest.

His words: "Transfer and termination of appointment of members of PENGASSAN, Petroleum Industry Bill passage, casualisation and outsourcing of staff in oil and gas industry sustenance of national minimum wage bill in the Exclusive List, workers right to unionisation, divestment of portfolio and attendant effect on the oil and gas industry, pipeline vandalism/oil spillage and its attendant effect on revenue drop and economy, anti labour activities of indigenous oil companies, insecurity, bad roads to operational areas, refineries, 2015 election and lastly, policies and inconsistency in appointment in NNPC."

See full story:Daily Independent