OIL UNION STRIKE SUSPENDED; TIDEX NEGOTIATIONS

UNCLAS LAGOS 000551

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB EPET KDEM NI PGOV
SUBJECT: OIL UNION STRIKE SUSPENDED; TIDEX NEGOTIATIONS
CONTINUE

REF: LAGOS 531


1. On April 9, leaders of the National Union of Petroleum
and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and
Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN)
suspended a three-day warning strike which had been scheduled
to begin April 11. The unions called off the strike, saying
they had reached agreement with the GON and major oil
companies on most of their demands. In regard to expatriate
worker quotas, the parties agreed that relevant government
agencies and the oil sector will jointly monitor compliance
with the quota policy. The parties also agreed to form a
committee comprising the Ministry of Labor, the Nigerian
Employers Consultative Association (NECA),the oil industry,
and the oil and gas unions to develop guidance on redundancy
and lay-offs. Other areas of agreement related to the
Pensions Reform Act, casualization, and refineries.


2. Tidex-specific issues were not resolved and the parties
agreed to continue meetings this week (reftel). PENGASSAN
President Brown Ogbeifun told Pol Specialist he is optimistic
the Tidex issues will be resolved. He added that even if the
Tidex issues are not resolved, he does not foresee a national
strike of PENGASSAN and NUPENG members. Strike action would
be limited to Tidex, as has been the case for over one month
now.

BROWNE