The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers of Nigeria has threatened to call out its members on strike, if urgent steps are not taken to resolve the lingering feud between the union and an American oil firm, Wilbros Company Limited, in Port Harcourt.
The union, which issued the notice in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said it would embark on an indefinite strike if the issues were not resolved before Tuesday.
The Eastern Zonal Chairman of the NUPENG, Mr. Achese Igwe, confirmed the union�s decision to embark on the strike in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Port Harcourt .
Igwe said the strike had become imperative following the refusal of the American firm to implement an agreement on the condition of service for Nigerians working in the company.
The chairman said the agreement, which was reached between the union and top officials of the firm in May this year, was due for implementation since June but regretted that the company had been evasive on the matter.
Igwe regretted that after the endorsement of the agreement specifying the condition of service for the Nigerian workers, the firm sacked the manager who headed the negotiation team and brought in a legal adviser from America to renegotiate afresh.
Igwe said, �We have held over 17 meetings in Lagos , Abuja and Port Harcourt to ensure the implementation of the agreement but the firm is not forthcoming on it.
�What the company is telling us now is that it wants to fold up and leave Nigeria .
�But we are saying to them to implement the agreement whether they are leaving or staying in Nigeria.�
Efforts to reach the firm�s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Steve Solomon, failed.
The threat by the NUPENG has led to artificial scarcity of fuel in Port Harcourt following the refusal of most filling-stations to open to their customers.