Contrary to the report that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has resolved the pension issue and other demands of its workers, there is total shutdown at all NNPC offices and locations all over the country.
The strike also affected all the subsidiaries of the NNPC, including the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), and Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), NETCO, Nigeria Gas Company (NGC), Hyson, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
In a statement by PENGASSAN Media and Information Officer, Comrade Babatunde Oke, the strike still continues until there is concrete commitment from the NNPC management to find a lasting solution to the issues.
The demands of the workers are adequate and regular funding of the closed pension system, immediate steps to carry out turn around maintenance (TAM) on the four refineries as agreed between government and the two unions, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, and restoration of crude supply to the refineries.
Comrade Oke said that the issue has gone beyond granting of a one year grace to the NNPC by PENCOM but that the NNPC management should put in place machinery that will automatically fund the pension system without any bureaucratic bottle neck.
He noted that the funding has been delayed due to the inability of the board of the NNPC to meet for over a year to approve the proposal of the management for the funding of the pension system.
On the issue of TAM of the refineries, PENGASSAN spokesperson said the Fedral Government should implement without delay the memorandum of understanding between the government and the unions to carry out the TAM on the refineries, saying that the government promised to commence the TAM in April but “this is September, we have not seen any commitment from the government on this.”
This could affect export of the crude, as workers at the export terminals also joined the strike, while importation and distribution of petroleum products may also be affected as the NNPC accounts for 60 per cent of petroleum importation into the country.
As at now, the management of the NNPC has not called for another meeting to resolve the issue.