Oil Workers Abandon Proposed Strike

Source: THEWILL. - thewillnigeria.com
OIL WORKERS' UNION REPRESENTATIVES WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSIDE THE MEETING AT THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES IN ABUJA ON SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011.
OIL WORKERS' UNION REPRESENTATIVES WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSIDE THE MEETING AT THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES IN ABUJA ON SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23, (THEWILL) – The strike scheduled for Monday,July 25, 2011, by oil workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has been cancelled.

A communiqué issued after a 5-hour meeting said the strike would no longer hold.

The communiqué was signed by PENGASSAN President, Comrade Bayo Olowoshile, NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese, Mr. Charles Gbandi for SPDC, Mr. Peter Odjoji for the NNPC/Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Mrs. Chinedu Dike for Labour and Productivity Ministry.

The meeting held in Abuja on Saturday inside the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resourses, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke between oil workers and representatives of the Federal Government led by Labour Minister Emeka Wogu resolved to continue to dialogue on the grievances of oil workers with a bid to finding a lasting solution to the complaints of workers on workers’ welfare and contract staffing/outsourcing which had pitched workers against the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Austen Oniwon and Shell Managing Director Mutiu Sunmonu were also in attendance.

A resolution is expected in 2 weeks.
“The parties namely NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and SPDC are committed to abide by the provisions of the Guidelines on labour administration issues on Contract staffing/outsourcing in the Oil & Gas sector issued by the Minister of Labour on May 25, 2011, and put in place a contractors' forum that will interface with the Trade Unions,” the communiqué stated.

On the issue of SPDC’s divestment of state in oil wells, the communiqué added that, “The divestment of SPDC from some oil blocks remains the responsibility of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”