THE National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has asked its members nationwide to prepare for another industrial action billed to commence on Wednesday.
This, the union said, followed the inability of the Federal Government to bring down the price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) also known as diesel within the two weeks given to government to do so.
The national president of NUPENG, Comrade Peter Akpatason, told the Nigerian Tribune on the telephone that the union and the Federal Government had not reached any agreement in all its demands, adding that nothing had been done to reduce the price of diesel and no negotiation had commenced on the salaries of Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD).
Akpatason, however, said that the union would hold another meeting with the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), but maintained that some form of protest would start from today.
�No agreement on modality for increasing supply yet, as a measure for reducing AGO prices, drivers salaries negotiation yet to commence. Some form of protest will start before Tuesday meeting with GMD of NNPC. Next line of action will depend on outcome of that meeting,� he said.
The NUPENG boss had last week told newsmen after a meeting with the Minister of Energy (Petroleum), Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, and other stakeholders which ended in a deadlock, that an overwhelming number of NUPENG officials had agreed that strike was the best option, adding that there were various cartels manipulating the price of diesel.
He challenged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) to publish its daily allocations so that Nigerians would know the quantities produced and allocated.
�The majority favours a full blown strike. But even if it is going to happen, I will favour definite strike, maybe one week or two or three days and we suspend again and if nothing happens, we will start again.
�But another group said why don�t we do some protest, not full blown strike for the time, as it will enable us to extend dialogue, but that point seems to be in the majority,� he noted.
NUPENG had, two weeks ago, suspended a one-week strike following the decision of the minister to hold a meeting with the union.
The body, however, threatened to embark on another strike if the government refused to meet its demands within the next two weeks, a deadline that expires today.