Labour unions in Nigeria’s oil sector, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have called off their strike with immediate effect following a late night meeting with the minister of state for petroleum resources, Ibe Kachikwu.
The unions had embarked on the strike and shut offices of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, nationwide following the announcement of the company’s reorganisation by the minister. Kachikwu, who also serves as the Group Managing Director of NNPC, had explained that the restructuring will see the NNPC split into five business-focused and two service driven units. However the workers feared that it would lead to job losses.
After yesterday’s meeting, the unions agreed to work with the NNPC leadership as long as it would not lead to loss of jobs by their members.
Kachikwu’s meeting with the unions only ended by 4.30am on Thursday after which NUPENG and PENGASSAN released this statement:
“The GECs of NUPENG and PENGASSAN had a marathon meeting with the GMD/Minister of Petroleum (State) and NNPC Top Mgt for several hours, ending this morning @ 4:30am on the on-going industrial action. After exhaustive deliberations, a resolution was signed by the two parties. In view of that, the INDUSTRIAL ACTION is hereby suspended. The GEC salutes your SOLIDARITY, UNDERSTANDING & COOPERATION. Details of the communique signed at the end of the meeting will be provided in due course,” the written statement read.
The NNPC on its own also announced that the strike had been suspended and the unions have agreed to support the restructuring and change process.
