abce certificate
Friday, 29 August, 2008, 01:10 GMT | more prices >>

Union threatens strike over NLNG dispute



By Upstream staff 

Nigeria's second-largest oil union, Nupeng, will call a nationwide strike next week unless the government resolves labour disputes at the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company, union leaders said today.

The Nupeng junior staff union wants the company and its contractors to recognise it and reinstate members who were sacked because of they had formed a workers' union.

Nupeng's membership cuts across the spectrum of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. But previous strike action by the union and its senior staff counterpart Pengassan has had a limited impact on exports as oil producing companies have maintained skeleton staffing to keep oil flowing.

Nupeng president Peter Akpatason said the south-east zone of the union began a strike on Monday, which would be escalated to a nationwide action if the dispute was not resolved in seven days.

The strike was called after police injured and arrested some members during a peaceful protest on Sunday at the NLNG plant on Bonny Island in the Niger Delta oil-producing state of Rivers, union leaders said.

"The dispute is over the unionisation of our members at the NLNG, but the entire membership of Nupeng shall embark on a nationwide solidarity strike to press home our points," Akpatason told Reuters.

The union also asked the government to prosecute the policemen who injured its members, one of whom lost an eye after he was hit by a teargas canister during the protest, and pay their medical bills.


Wednesday, 28 November, 2007, 20:40 GMT  | last updated: Wednesday, 28 November, 2007, 20:40 GMT

e-mail this article to a colleague


to email:  from:
comments: