NUPENG suspends four-day strike
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Allison Diezani Madueke
| credits:
| credits:
THE
Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Saturday
suspended its solidarity strike against the non-payment of subsidy funds
to petroleum products importers.
NUPENG National Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Bassey Harry, said the union’s decision to shelve
the four-day strike was based on agreements reached between the Federal
Government and NUPENG leaders.
Harry, who spoke with
newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday, said the FG agreed to begin the
payment of subsidy funds to jetty and tank farm owners.
Explaining that the
non-payment of the subsidy was the reason why the union went on strike,
Harry described the removal of subsidy as a ploy by government to
inflict hardship on Nigerians.
He said, “Since January
this year when government increased the price of Premium Motor Spirit
from N45 to N97, it has not paid any subsidy and has not also imported
fuel.
“We feel this is a game
plan by government because if it has refused to import PMS and has also
refused to pay the subsidy, it amounts to deceiving Nigerians.
“The government reached
an agreement with labour unions and yet the FG is not doing what was
agreed. It is insincerity of the highest order and that was why we went
on strike,” the NUPENG spokesman stated.
Harry decried the fact
that all roads leading to petroleum depots in the country were in bad
shape but expressed optimism that government would soon begin work on
the roads.
The spokesman added that
the FG also pledged that it would make sure that turnaround maintenance
was carried out on the three refineries in the country before the end
of 2012.
“Based on these
agreements, the NUPENG’s National Executive Council through the
leadership of its president, Igwe Achese, hereby declared the strike
suspended,” Harry stressed.
He instructed tanker
drivers and petroleum depots to begin the loading and distribution of
fuel without delay, while appealing to fuel station owners to commence
the sales of petroleum products.
Harry, however, warned that any marketer found cheating members of the public would be sanctioned.
In another development,
the Producers’ Forum of NUPENG said it would soon embark on a three-day
strike over the condition of workers in the upstream sector.
Chairman of the forum,
Mr. Amoshuka Daniel, decried the situation where Nigerians were forced
to work as contract staff with poor working conditions.
The forum in a communiqué on Saturday
sought for the conversion of all contract staff in the upstream sector
to permanent workers.
