IPPIS: NUPENG Speaks On Joining PENGASSAN Strike

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said it would not join the industrial action embarked upon by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

Naija News recalls that PENGASSAN had on Monday embarked on a nationwide strike.

The union leader, Festus Osifo, said they had joined the strike because the government had refused to meet the demands of the oil and gas sector.

He added that the union had given the government a seven-day deadline last Monday on their demands.

Osifo also said that the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was part of the reason for the strike.

But speaking in a radio programme on Rhythm FM, the National Treasurer of NUPENG, Alex Agwanwor said the issues raised in the memo would be addressed by the federal government.

Agwanwor, who is the Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Rivers State chapter said called on the federal government to urgently address the issues raised by PENGASSAN to avoid joining the strike on sympathy.

He said: “We are still consulting at the national level to see the next step to take as regards the ongoing strike by our sister union.

“However, before this time we have made proper arrangements in terms of mobilising our members who are the tanker drivers to make sure there is enough availability of petroleum products to cushion the shortage in the importation of petroleum products within this period in order to avert any form of scarcity.”

He urged members of the public not to go into panic buying of petrol in anticipation of scarcity, adding that tanker drivers have been encouraged to double their distribution channels.