Fuel Scarcity Looms as Oil Workers Declare Total Strike Today
LAGOS DECEMBER 15TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and its Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, will today begin an indefinite nationwide strike, to protest the inability of the government to carry out Turn Around Maintenance, TAM, of the refineries and reduce pump prices of petroleum products in line with the slump in global prices of crude oil.
Other grievances include delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB; non-implementation of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD, Act to reflect Nigerians in management positions and expatriate quota law; appalling state of access roads to refineries and oil depots’ facilities and insecurity in the country that has led to the death of members.
Other complaints are appointments in government agencies in disregards to succession planning, compulsory deduction from workers’ salaries for the National Housing Fund, NHF; casualisation and contract staffing and unfair labour practice by companies and government agencies.