The three-day warning strike called by oil workers will continue today after a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu Monday night was inconclusive.
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers began the strike Monday over alleged unfair labour practices by some major oil companies in the country.
President of NUPENG Comrade Igwe Achese told reporters yesterday that the government must ensure that stakeholder in the oil sector abide by the guidelines on contract staffing and casualisation in which has been gazetted.
Achese said that government “must also regulate the expatriate quota so as to safeguard the jobs of qualified Nigerians in the oil sector.”
A joint stakeholders meeting of government, oil companies and unions is expected to hold today on how to resolve the crisis.
Achese, who addressed a joint press conference with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), also stated that a meeting NUPENG held
However, he added that NUPENG would hold its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting after yesterday’s evening press briefing to take the next action.
The union urged the Federal Government to show seriousness in the fight against oil theft, pointing out that the Navy needs to be properly funded. He noted that NUPENG and PENGASSAN should be included in the committee recently set up to tackle oil theft.
The strike has triggered fuel shortages resulting into long queues at filling stations and rise in transport fares of up to 50 per cent in cities like Lagos and Kaduna.
The Lagos chapter of NUPENG has directed filling station attendants in the state to stop selling petroleum products to customers as part of the ongoing waning strike which entered second day on Tuesday.
Many bus stops were crowded in many towns across the country as busses remain few on the streets.
In Kaduna motorists now buy petrol at the sum of N1000 per-gallon, Daily Trust can report. Many filling stations did not open.
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