By Moses John
Abuja
The federal government and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will meet today over the recent increase in fuel pump price. The meeting, according to Samuel Olowookere, deputy director, Press, in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, would hold at 2pm at the conference hall of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday, suspended an industrial action to resume negotiation with government on the issues under contest.
Meanwhile, the ultimatum by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to embark on a nationwide strike effective midnight, Tuesday, May 24, 2016 has been suspended.
This is sequel to the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige and his counterpart in the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
In a conciliatory, pre-strike meeting yesterday in Abuja, Kachikwu briefed PENGASSAN and other stakeholders on the vexed issue of Joint Venture Cash Call (JVCC), the arrears which had not been paid to the Joint Venture partners, hence, the threat by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to lay-off their Nigerian workers while refusing to pay some of their allowances due to an alleged shortage of cash.
Kachikwu explained that his ministry was restructuring the operational modalities of the JVCC, especially in view of the low oil prices, but assured the union, the partners and other stakeholders of positive and agreeable results when the meeting reconvenes in late June.
Ngige who hosted the meeting, promised that the Oil Industry Stakeholders’ committee dealing with the issues of labour malpractices like long contracting of staff, casualisation and unilateral declaration of redundancy by the oil contractors and the International Oil Companies on the one hand, as well as the unnecessary and incessant issuing of threats of strike by the unions, would resume next month.
“We all recall that this committee was headed by the late Hon. Min. of State for Labour and Employment, Bar. James Ocholi but in view of the importance and the urgency of the committee, I will assume its full leadership in June to accelerate and bring its assignment to a fruitful completion, part of which is to generate some oil- labour regulations into laws for the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) .”
