Lagos (Platts)--20Jun2007

Business and commercial activities in Nigeria came to a halt Wednesday as
workers began a general strike that could disrupt crude oil exports from
Africa's top producer.
     Last-ditch efforts by the Nigerian government to avert the industrial
action proved futile as labour unions late Tuesday rejected the government's
concession to take back half of a recent increase in gasoline prices, and
directed workers to embark on the indefinite strike.
     Oil workers stayed away from their offices today in line with the
directive by unions, although it was not immediately clear if any oil
production had been halted.
     "We are not in the office today because of the strike. Management is more
concern about the safety of the employees now," said an official from one
US-based oil firm.
     Raymond Akpan, spokesman for the white collar Pengassan union at the
Department of Petroleum Resources, said workers had been told to stay away
from their offices but that instructions had not been issued to withdraw oil
monitors from crude export terminals.
     "At this stage, there is no instruction yet to our members at the export
terminals to shut down. Because of the strategic nature of that aspect, we are
still hoping that government will meet unions demand in full. But if they do
not, that (halt in export) will happen later," said Akpan.
     Nigeria exports more than 2 million b/d of oil, and the country is one of
the top five suppliers to the US.