NIGERIA: NATIONAL LABOR STRIKE - SITREP #2

UNCLAS ABUJA 001303 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL, AF/W PLEASE PASS USTR FOR AGAMA DOL FOR SUDHA DALEY DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV PHUM ENRG EIAR NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: NATIONAL LABOR STRIKE - SITREP #2 REF: A. ABUJA 1302 ¶B. ABUJA 1294 ¶C. ABUJA 1278 ¶D. ABUJA 1155 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) The national labor strike continues as of close of business June 20. NLC General Secretary John Odah told Poloff the NLC and GON will hold an informal meeting in the evening. NLC, TUC and the GON are scheduled to meet again formally at 10 AM on June 21. The strike will continue tomorrow morning -- any change would only be after the 10 AM meeting. ¶2. (SBU) NLC ordered its member union NUPENG to shut down oil production and TUC issued a similar order to its member union PENGASSAN. These orders were issued early in the day on June 20, but as of early afternoon, oil companies reported operations were unaffected. According to Senior Assistant Secretary General of the TUC Dan Uhumangho, the plan is to SIPDIS shut down oil production prior to the 10 AM meeting with the GON in order to force the GON to capitulate. Uhumangho told Poloff that President Yar'adua called the NLC and TUC earlier in the day, asking that they refrain from shutting down oil production. ¶3. (SBU) NLC and TUC are holding firm to their demand that the gas price be returned to 65 Naira per liter and that any decision to raise it be made only with approval of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) stakeholder board, as is standard procedure. CAMPBELL