LEADERS of the oil workers in the country have directed members in the export and other strategic terminals to begin the process of shutting down all operations towards the planned three days national strike beginning Wednesday to protest amongst others violence in the Niger Delta region which has claimed the life of a SHELL worker, Comrade Nelson Ujeya, even as efforts by government to abort the strike yielded no result.
Other grievances of the oil workers under the aegis of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) include alleged Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, sale of Eleme Petro-Chemical Company to a three-year old company, increasing vandalisation of oil pipelines, non-granting of autonomy to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), government planned conversion of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun, Warri, to a campus of University of Benin (UNIBEN) and alleged increasing expatriate quota abuse.
One of the leaders of the two unions in the sector, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said the directive became necessary because of the sensitive nature of some of the equipment which should not be shut down suddenly.
According to him, �we have been putting finishing touches to the three days strike commencing September 13. The strike is going to be total involving all the workers in the sector covered by NUPENGASSAN, a fusion of NUPENG and PENGASSAN. In fact, members in the export and other critical terminals have been instructed to begin the process of shutting down all operations from Sunday (today) because of the sensitive nature of some of the equipment that one cannot just shut down suddenly.
Some of them require four days to complete the process of shut down. So, beginning from Sunday to Wednesday, the process should have been completed. Every thing is set for the strike�.
Federal Government�s efforts to abort the planned strike were said to have suffered a set back last week as a meeting called by the minister of labour, Dr Hassan Lawal, with the leaders of the two unions and other stakeholders in the sector for Thursday could not hold and the meeting had to be rescheduled for tomorrow.
The one called by the group managing director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engineer Funsho Kupolokun, for Friday ended in a deadlock as the leaders of the oil workers were said to have told the GMD that the planned action was in the best interest of the industry and the nation at large.
According to a Sunday Vanguard source, �the GMD made efforts to sway us against the planned strike, but we told him that the strike was necessary to save the sector. We told him that it is not intended to punish or confront anybody, but to draw government attention to the issues and for government to develop the political will to address the issues we raised�.
It was also gathered that chieftains of oil companies in the country also met with the GMD immediately after the meeting with the leaders of the oil workers to discuss the impending strike. Leaders of NUPENG and PENGASSAN at a joint National Executive Council (NEC) of both unions held on August 30 Benin City, Edo State, had declared that oil workers could no longer fold their hands and watch the industry in Nigeria slide into a state of anomie.
�NEC-in-session directs that with effect from Wednesday 13 September 2006, all members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN should embark on a 3-day warning strike. The joint NEC-in-session agrees that if after the 3-day warning strike, government fails to address the issues raised in this communique and provide a peaceful and safe environment in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country for oil workers in particular and Nigerians in general to go about their lawful duties, NUPENG and PENGASSAN will have no other option but to withdraw their services indefinitely,� a communique issued after the meeting had said.
It added: �The joint NEC-in-session frowns at the heightening and un-abating spate of abduction, hostage-taking and violent attacks in the Niger Delta by restive youths under banner of continued deprivation and neglects of the area by successive governments.
The joint NEC notes with dismay and apprehension that the genuine agitation of the Niger Delta people has been criminalised, and made an avenue for ransom seeking activities, and disruption of economic life and welfare of the people in the region.
The joint NEC-in-session notes with concern the incessant abduction of expatriate workers even from night-clubs in the center of the township which has now resulted in most firms threatening to pull out of the Niger Delta – a situation that will compound employment problems, increase crime rate and compromise the much sought investment drive to the Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general.
The joint meeting regrets that government�s poor response has not helped matters leading to deepening insecurity in the region as the nation continues to witness more abduction of oil workers, hostage-taking and overrunning of oil installations and pollution of the environment in the region�.