Following the nationwide strike, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday withdrew key staff of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) from oilfields and export terminals.
The Congress, which spared oil production and exports yesterday, being the first day of the indefinite strike action, made the withdrawal at midnight yesterday.
According to branch Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), �between now and 12 midnight, we will withdraw our members from all DPR locations, including oil exports terminals.�
The union members went on with the strike despite series of concessions offered by President Umaru Yar’Adua, who faces the first major test of his government three weeks after assumption of office.
Offices of Western oil companies in Nigeria were closed, along with most other businesses and government offices, but oil production and shipments remained uninterrupted, company officials said.
One executive was quoted as saying, “all our offices are locked up, but there has been no interference in our operations yet.”
Unions ordered workers to go on “total strike,� but leaders of the oil unions said it would take time to shut the industry down.
Oil companies use non-unionised staff to maintain essential operations, but some union members are required to sign-off on exports, and this is where unions hope to put pressure.
Also, some international and domestic flights had been cancelled because of shortage of jet fuel.