HAPPENING: FG meets PENGASSAN, NUPENG in Abuja

A meeting to resolve the dispute between Nigeria’s oil workers and the federal government is ongoing in Abuja.

The dialogue which is holding at the NNPC headquarters has in attendance the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, and leaders of PENGASSAN and NUPENG.

One of the issues expected to be discussed is the implementation of the 2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the federal government and the unions.

Also to be tabled for discussion are the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Bill and the state under which the oil workers operate, especially with regard to lack of power and bad roads.

Before the meeting went into closed-door, Dr. Kachikwu gave the assurance that the meeting would resolve the issues amicably.

The PENGASSAN had last week declared an industrial action over the dispute, while NUPENG postponed its action pending the outcome of this meeting.