BY JOHNBOSCO AGAKWURU
ABUJA—THE National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Wednesday, suspended the three-day warning strike it embarked upon on Monday after the intervention of the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation GMD NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu .
NUPENG had on Monday, a few hours after the union downed tools, met with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, to resolve some of the problems facing the oil and gas sector that led to the strike but the meeting was inconclusive as it did not produce any meaningful result.
Some of the reasons that led to the warning strike, according to the union, were demand for labour rights for workers in major oil companies, higher pay from their employers, insecurity in the country, crude oil theft and poor funding of the Nigeria Navy,and repair of dilapidated roads that had led to the death of many.
Briefing newsmen , NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese, said due to inability of the Federal Government to meet demands of the union, the strike would continue and announced that the Joint National Executive meeting of NUPENG and PENGASSAN was going to meet to review the situation.
However, after the joint NEC meeting of the two affiliate unions, NUPENG called off the strike and advised its members to go back to their duty posts.
National President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achesem said: “In the interest of the public and intervention of the GMD, NNPC, and well meaning Nigerians, the three days warning strike embarked upon by NUPENG is hereby suspended.”
Achese said NUPENG would be meeting with the Federal Government in the shortest possible time and directed members of the union to go back to work, adding that no worker would be victimized.
The GMD NNPC was present at the meeting yesterday to sign the agreement with the union to call off the strike.
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