Nigerian oil unions threaten to stage indefinite strike

Lagos (Platts)--8Sep2006

Nigerian oil unions Friday threatened to stage an indefinite strike if
the crisis in the Niger Delta persists after next week's planned three-day
'warning' strike.
In addition to their general concerns about the government's inability to
quell unrest in the Delta, the white collar Pengassan union and its
blue-collar counterpart Nupeng issued a statement voicing concerns about the
sale of the state's 75% interest in the Eleme Petrochemical Company to India's
Indorama Group, the poor state of Nigeria's four refineries and the decision
to merge Nigeria's only petroleum training institution with a university.
"If after the three-day warning strike government fails to address the
issues raised in this communique...Nupeng and Pengassan will have no other
option but to withdraw their services indefinitely," the statement said.
The unions said last week that the warning strike was to protest against
the government's failure and "lack of political will" to deal with the
increasing violence and attacks on oil workers and installations in the Delta.
The three day-strike is due to start on September 13, although the
government plans to meet union leaders on Monday in a bid to avert the action.
Nigeria's oil production has been severely disrupted by problems in the
Niger Delta this year.
Royal Dutch Shell, the biggest oil operator in the country, was forced to
shut in 455,000 b/d of Forcados and EA production in February as a result of
attacks by disgruntled tribes seeking a bigger share of oil and gas revenues.

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