HARD TIME: Another Fuel Crisis Looms As PENGASSAN Threatens Strike
Nigeria may be plunged into another round of fuel crisis as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened to resume its suspended strike if the Federal Government refuses to commence the implementation of an agreement reached among the tripartite partners in the industry.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, dated August 22, 2016 and signed by the acting General Secretary, PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, the association stated that since the agreement was signed over a month ago, there has been no much progress or commitment towards implementing the tenets of the agreement.
The union therefore urged the Minister to intervene by calling on the defaulting managements who have refused to implement the agreement to order so as to avert another round of nationwide strike.
PENGASSAN expressed dismay at the disobedience of directive from the Federal Government such as the high level of authorities of a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by managements of these companies.
Copies of the letter were sent to the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS).
According to PENGASSAN, the agreement was reached
at the end of the reconciliation meetings held at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment with PENGASSAN, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and other stakeholders on July 12, 14 and 21, 2016 in Abuja.
The letter reads in part, “It is over a month now since the last Communique was reached and we can say in summation that no much progress has been achieved. This of course is making our members restive and we are under tremendous pressure to bring about a total resolution on all the contending issues.
“We are constrained therefore to note with great dismay that most of the companies are foot-dragging and have resorted to time-wasting tactics in order to deliberately frustrate the process.
“We are therefore based on the above, requesting that you use your good offices to intervene by calling on the managements of these companies to quickly implement these resolutions as it affects them, else we will be left with no alternative than to succumb to the pressure from our members and do what needs to be done in furtherance of our mandate.”
