By Bimbola Oyesola and Magnus Eze, Abuja
A meeting between the Federal Government, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), originally scheduled for yesterday, has been shifted to Monday, July 11.
Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, NUPENG South West chairman made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
Korodo confirmed the meeting was shifted due to the public holiday declared on Thursday, by government to mark the Eid-El-Fitr.
The pending meeting, nevertheless, oil workers insisted it embarked on strike yesterday.
The parley in Abuja was initially aimed at putting off the industrial action in the oil and gas sector as well as seek lasting solution to lingering problems in the industry.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu will lead government’s delegation to the meeting.
The meeting will hold at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC Towers, Abuja.
In an update by its National Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojugbana, the union confirmed the strike called by PENGASSAN commenced yesterday with the gradual withdrawal of members on offshore, loading bays and flow stations.
“Our members, especially those in offices and the downstream sector will join today as they resume from the Eid el Fitri holiday.”
Ojugbana maintained that the strike was to press home PENGASSAN’s demands for government’s attention to some critical challenges impacting the survival of the nation’s oil and gas industry.
The chairman, who is one of NUPENG’s representatives, said both parties had agreed to meet on Monday, to deliberate on the issues affecting the unions.
He said the unions were aware of hardship the strike would cause the general public and added that this was why the unions had agreed to meet with the federal government.
The Senior Staff Trade Union had listed some of the challenges to include lingering irregular Joint Venture funding and Cash Call payment arrears, lack of a clear cut direction on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), forceful co-option of government agencies in the industry into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and spate of redundancy and retrenchment in the Oil and Gas industry.
A statement from Deputy Director (Press) in the Ministry of Labour, Samuel Olowookere, said the meeting was shifted to Monday in consideration of the season and national holidays.
The ministry also appealed to “the entire leadership of PENGASSAN to stay action on the strike in view of ongoing negotiations and in the spirit of social dialogue.”