Pengassan back to work as talks continue
Striking oil workers who have shut down virtually all ExxonMobil's production
in Nigeria have agreed to return to work while negotiations with the company
continue, an ExxonMobil spokesman said today.
A spokesman for the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
which is mediating the talks, also said a deal had been reached for the
Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (Pengassan)
union to return to work while talks continued.
"We have made progress in the talks. The unions have agreed to go back to work
while negotiations continue on the condition that the company negotiates in
good faith," NNPC spokesman Levi Ajuonuma told Reuters.
Union leaders, who had said after talks broke up last night they were going
ahead with their action, told Reuters today they would seek the approval of
their membership to return to work during the negotiations.
"We have to put this to our members," said Pengassan deputy secretary-general
Lumumba Okugbawa, adding that the consultation was expected to be carried
out this morning.
ExxonMobil workers had not returned to their offices today, and with tomorrow
a national holiday in Nigeria, work was not expected to restart until Friday
at the earliest, said one company executive who asked not to be identified.
30 April 2008 08:34 GMT
| last updated:
30 April 2008 08:44 GMT
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