By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
Motorists may face severe fuel Scarcity from Monday as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has mobilised its members to ensure total compliance with the directive on Indefinite Nationwide Strike declared by the Organised Labour.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NUC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Friday declared indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demands for increased Minimum Wage for the Nigerian Workers.
The Organised Labour chose the strike option after the marathon negotiation meetings with the Federal Government were fruitless.
While they made an offer of N494,000 per month, which is an increase of 1,547% on the existing National Minimum Wage of 2019, the Federal Government made an offer of N60,000.00 per month, which is 100% increase on the existing National Minimum Wage of 2019.
Justifying the Federal Government’s position in a meeting with the Organised Labour, the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage said, the N60,000.00 per month offer of the Federal Government was
based on prevailing economic considerations and government’s non-monetary incentives.
However, the organised labour maintained stance on the proposed amount, walked out of the meeting, and thereafter, declared indefinite nationwide strike, scheduled to start from Monday, June 3, 2024.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the NUPENG General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawole, the union notified all its members and Branches in all Oil and Gas installations, operations and services including distribution and marketing of Petroleum products, that the Union is fully committed to ensuring total compliance with the directive of the Nigeria Labour Congress for an indefinite nationwide strike.
The statement said, the Union is “deeply concerned and disturbed with the insensitive and irresponsive attitude of the Federal Government to the very critical issue of negotiating a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers in view of the various social economic policies of this administration that have impoverished the working people of this country”.
It, therefore, urged the leaders of the Union at all levels, from the Units, Zones and Branches, to immediately put all processes in place to ensure total compliance with the directive.
