FG reschedules meeting with PENGASSAN as oil workers refuse to call off strike

The meeting between the ministers of labour and petroleum with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has been rescheduled to Friday.

Samuel Olowookere, deputy director (press) in the ministry of labour and employment, said this in a statement, saying the shift in date was occasioned by the  Eid-el Fitr holidays.

However, the association has insisted that there is no going back on its strike.

Francis Johnson, national president of PENGASSAN, made assertion in an interview with NAN in Lagos. He said the issues had been pending for so long and the government had displayed a lack of seriousness.

According to him, government is trying to apply fire brigade approach to a serious matter.

“We have discussed this matter long enough for the government to address us but it closed its ears, now the authorities are calling for dialogue,” he said.

“We are ready to work with Mr. President to succeed but other agencies involved in the discussion were not showing serious concern over the matter and we don’t have any choice than to proceed on strike.”

Johnson said the strike was due to the failure of the federal government to honour its agreements listed in a May 12, 2016 communiqué.

He said some of the issues included lingering irregular joint venture funding and cash call payment arrears, lack of clear-cut direction on the petroleum industry bill (PIB).

Others are forceful co-option of government agencies into the integrated personnel payroll information system (IPPIS) and the spate of redundancy and retrenchment in the industry.

The PENGASSAN president said several efforts to engage the government to forestall the strike were frustrated.

He said that before now, the union tried to engage the government on May 24, 2016, but it was inconclusive.

He added that the engagement was later fixed for June 23, 2016, which did not take place and again for June 30, 2016, which was unceremoniously cancelled with no date given.

“We see this as a deliberate attempt by the government to frustrate the discussion of the myriad of issues raised in the communiqué, which are critical to the survival of the oil and gas industry in the country,” he said.

“Among the burning issues raised is that of the joint venture funding/cash call arrears, which has stalled new investments and the creation of jobs and which has consequently brought about massive job losses.

“We have equally noted with great dismay that our tertiary institutions keep churning out graduates with no or very limited job placement opportunities.

“Even for those that are fortunate to have jobs, it has been a tug-of-war getting their salaries paid as when due and are faced with redundancies on a regular basis, especially in the service sector.

“We cannot fold our hands and watch this gradual collapse of our strategic oil and gas industry and its attendant consequences on the nation’s economy.

“This is a sharp contrast to the present government’s avowed promise to create and retain jobs.’’

PENGASSAN ordered its members to leave their duty posts in all oil installations and offices throughout the country as from 12pm on Thursday.