"I think a lot of people are contemplating what
happened on Friday and how this current week may go. The small moves this
morning seem pretty logical especially with no news to affect prices," a London-based
broker said about crude futures market Monday. Last Friday, global crude
futures lost over $2/b in value as fears receded over cyclone Gonu affecting
oil infrastructure, production and shipping in the oil rich region of the
Middle East. Technical selling also pushed prices through important
resistance levels and large drops in equity markets and metal prices added
to the bearish picture.
"Both the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade
Union Congress have given the Federal Government until June 18 to reverse
the fuel price increase or face a nationwide strike" said Lumumba Okugba
deputy secretary general of the white collar Pengassan oil union. Nigeria
oil workers have been put on notice to join a nationwide strike called by
labor groups to protest a recent hike in fuel prices.