A major
Nigerian oil union said on saturday it would launch a strike from Monday after
talks aimed at resolving a dispute with domestic oil and gas companies reached
a deadlock.
The Petroleum
and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), whose members
mainly work in the upstream oil industry, is clashing with the companies over laying off of union members.
The strike
could hit Nigeria’s oil production and dent exports, as they did in December
last year during a PENGASSAN action against ExxonMobil.
“PENGASSAN
has commenced mobilization for the strike,” a spokeswoman for the union said.
The
dispute arose after domestic oil and gas companies and marginal field operators
laying off union members. Marginal fields refer to discoveries made by oil majors
during exploration of larger acreage but which have been left for others to
develop.
PENGASSAN has
asked the government to force the management of those companies to recall their
laid off workers. The union said the firms ordered “mass” lay offs but has not
given figures.
Oil output
from Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude exporter, has been volatile over the past
two years due to militant attacks, pipeline theft and sabotage and industrial
action.
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