Nigerians are at risk of facing fuel scarcity in the coming weeks following a two-week strike notice issued by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas or NUPENG on Monday.
It is understood that NUPENG members control the downstream arm of the oil sector. Any actions taken by the union affect the national supply and distribution of petroleum.
NUPENG warned that it would begin the strike at the expiration of the notice if its demands were not immediately resolved. The union went on a strike while a special national delegates conference convened Thursday, listing the non-payment of workers’ salaries and title benefits among the reasons for its threat.
The resolution reads: “We write to convey to the general public and all relevant government agencies the resolution of the special national delegates conference to issue a 14-day notice of a nationwide industrial action if some legitimate welfare and membership related issues that have been variously resolved in our favour even by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment are not adequately and conclusively addressed and resolved within the next 14 days.”
Among the many issues listed, NUPENG outlined the termination of the contract towards some of its contract workers because they joined the union.
“There is also the matter concerning PYRAMIDT workers, who for more than 20 years now are being moved from one labour contractor to another without conditions of service and union representation/recognition,” the union stated.
