Oil, electricity workers to join planned labour strike

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has directed its members to comply with the directive of the labour unions to begin an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday.

In a statement on Saturday, Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG’s general secretary, said the union is committed to ensuring total compliance with the directive.

On May 31, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) declared an indefinite nationwide strike to begin on June 3, over the federal government’s refusal to increase the minimum wage from N60,000.

Announcing compliance with the directive, Afolabi said NUPENG was alarmed by the “insensitive attitude of the federal government to the very critical issue of negotiating a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers”.

“This is in view of the various socio-economic policies of this administration that have impoverished the working people of this country,” the statement reads.

“Leaders of our great union at all levels, from the units, zones and branches, should immediately put all processes in place to ensure total compliance with this directive.”

Also, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) said it was mobilising its members to embark on the strike in accordance with the directive of NLC and TUC.

Dominic Igwebike, acting general secretary of the association, gave the directive to members in a statement on Saturday.

Igwebike said the strike became necessary due to inconclusive negotiations on the minimum wage and electricity tariff hike, as well as the categorisation of Nigeria’s electricity consumers into bands.

Therefore, he instructed all national, state, and chapter executives to start the mobilisation of members in total compliance with the directive to ensure the government takes the right step.