Fuel queues to ease from today as PENGASSAN ends strike

Relief in getting petroleum products seamlessly across the nation has been guaranteed following Monday’s suspension of the industrial action which started same day by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

PENGASSAN had last two weeks, given ultimatum that it will resume strike on Monday this week, if all the lingering labour issues between its members and some erring oil companies are not ironed out before yesterday.

Checks across Lagos and Abuja on Monday showed almost full compliance to the strike, thus compelling some petrol stations to either lock up their stations or resort to use of limited number of pumps, thus aggravating waste of time and emergence of long queues.

Details gathered by Business Hilights Monday evening showed that PENGASSAN suspended the strike after the intervention by the Director of DSS, Lawal Daura, the Minister of Labour & Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and the NECONDE Energy management.

A statement from the PENGASSAN National Public Relations Officer, Fortune Obi, revealed that after the meeting held on Monday, Legal consultants to NECONDE offered a letter of recalled to the sacked employees of the company.

NECONDE also agreed to allow union to exist in the company.

Besides, the Minister of Labour and Productivity as well as the PENGASSAN has therefore agreed to endeavour to resolve anti-union posture by other indigenous companies and marginal field operators.

But to resolve other lingering issues, a meeting has been fixed for second week of January 2018 to look into the issues.