By Etuka Sunday
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at the weekend suspended their industrial action after due intervention by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Maduake.
The announcement for the suspension of the strike was contained in a communiqué signed between the unions and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), following exhaustive deliberations.
The union listed unresolved pensions issues, inability of the corporation to bridge the N85 billion gap in their pension scheme and turn around maintenance of four refineries as reasons for the strike.
Other demands of the unions include the need for increased allocation of crude oil for local refining to help reduce the increasing dependence on importation of petroleum products for domestic consumption.
The strike was however suspended after the Petroleum Minister informed the Unions that the PENCOM letter withdrawing the temporary License granted to NNPC to run defined benefit Scheme has been reversed.
She announced the Corporation’s readiness to meet the demands of the unions and assured the meeting that the GMD has the capacity to deal with the concerns of the Unions on the strategic Alliance Agreements between NPDC and other companies.
“By virtue of the intervention of the Minister, the strike action embarked upon by NUPENG and PENGASSAN of NNPC Group Executive Councils and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Branch of NUPENG and PENGASSAN is hereby suspended,” the communiqué stated.
The communiqué was signed by Comrade Abdulhakim Sanusi, Group Chairman, NNPC PENGASSAN;
Comrade Amba Ndoma-Egba, Chairman, DPR PENGASSAN; Comrade Dr. Achese Igwe, President, NUPENG;
Comrade F. O Johnson, President, PENGASSAN; Dr. Joseph T. Dhawa, GMD, NNPC and Dr. Jamila Shw’ara, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
