Acting General Secretary of PENGASSAN Lumumba Okugbawa stated that the workers will not resume activities until they are invited to discuss the restructuring plan with Mr. Kachikwu.
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) workers shut down activities nationwide on Wednesday in response to the federal government’s NNPC restructuring plan.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu announced on Tuesday that the NNPC will be restructured into seven independent divisions, including downstream, gas and power, refineries, ventures, corporate planning and services, and finance and accounts.
The two main petroleum industry workers’ unions, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), organized the strike on Tuesday night, finding the decision to restructure the NNPC without the consultation of workers unacceptable.
Acting General Secretary of PENGASSAN Lumumba Okugbawa stated that the workers will not resume activities until they are invited to discuss the restructuring plan with Mr. Kachikwu.
“With such a massive decision, a lot of things will be affected, particularly its implication on workers’ interests. We are unaware of what is happening. It is not fair that the workers are hearing about the restructuring in the media just like every other person. He is just creating unnecessary confusion in the polity,” Mr. Okugbawa said.
The strike will impact the power supply across the country and cause fuel shortages.