The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG) says it may embark on nationwide industrial action over the attack on
members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) protesting in Kaduna state.
Williams Akporeha, NUPENG national president, said the union
members should be on the red alert as they could shut their services “at very
short notice if situation arises”.
Recall that NLC members were attacked by armed thugs while
protesting in Kaduna on Monday.
The labour union are on a five-day warning strike over the
sack of civil servants by the state government.
Ayuba Suleiman, NLC chairman in the state, had said the
unions were committed to the principle of dialogue and social bargaining for
the benefit of the disengaged workers.
But the state government said the move was necessitated
because of its high wage bill.
Following the strike, Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna governor,
accused the NLC members of economic sabotage and declared their leaders wanted.
In a statement released, Suleiman said NUPENG is “deeply
saddened” with the attack, and asked the federal government to “immediately
call el-Rufai to order.”
“Consequently, the Union reiterates that no Labour Leaders
or workers as the case may be, be harmed, harassed, maimed, humiliated or
victimized during this 5-day peaceful protests in the State,” he said.
“Our Union is raising this alarm following the very reliable
report of the clandestine move of Governor Nasir El-RUfai to hurt and put the
lives of NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and other Labour Leaders to danger
in his usual blind egotistical style of running government in the State
“NUPENG, therefore, warns that if any harm is inflicted on
any of the members of organized Labour, the Leadership of the Union will not
hesitate to call on all our members throughout the nation for a total shut down
of all our services in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the
oil and gas industry.
“In the light of the above, we are therefore putting all
NUPENG members nationwide on red alert and may at very short notice of five
hours call for a nationwide industrial action if situation arises.”
The NUPENG president added that their solidarity with the
NLC remains constant as it “makes us strong.”
The union already shut all fuel depots and filling stations
in Kaduna over the strike.
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