Worker’s Day: NUPENG urges FG to fast-track passage of PIB

Joy Obakeye

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to fast-track the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) so that it can receive Presidential assent as soon as possible.

This was disclosed by the National President of the association, Comrade Williams Akporeha, in its May Day Message on Friday.

The union said: “May Day is typically a period to do self-introspection to fashion a new path to progress and put the struggle for the emancipation of working people on the front burner for the decency of working life.”

“The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers is using this auspicious occasion to highlight the fact that Nigeria oil and gas Industrial Relations atmosphere has been grossly affected negatively with numerous challenges ranging from redundancy, casualization, outsourcing, hostile employers, non-implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) to non-recognition of Unions in the workplace.

“Sadly, the covid-19 pandemic further plunged the workers into so many other harrowing challenges; even in the post-covid-19 era, some workers are yet to survive the negative effects which took a serious toll on their socio-economic and psychological wellbeing.”

“Nevertheless, the oil and gas Workers will remain resolute and undaunted, and will never give up, as the Union will continue the struggles and resist every obnoxious and anti-labour practice with all the resources at our disposal.

We are strongly committed in our mandate to defend, promote and protect the rights of our members and this we promise to do with all our strength and conviction.”

The union also advised the Federal Government to ensure that the minimum wage is not expunged from the exclusive to concurrent list and the payment must as well remain non-negotiable despite the pressure coming from some interest groups who desperately want a change in the status quo at the detriment of the workers.

“NUPENG is equally concerned about the increasing state of insecurity in the country ranging from kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, ritual killings, civil unrest, and unhealthy rivalry among ethnic groups, farmer-herder conflicts, and citizen’s harassment by law enforcement agents, etc.”

“The leadership of our Union commiserate with working people that have lost one loved one or the other to the cold hands of death as a result of the senseless killings going on in the country today.

We pray that God Almighty will console them and grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.”

“And In a very strong term, the leadership of our Union calls on Federal Government to rise to the occasion by providing for the security of the lives of the citizens as it is its primary and constitutional responsibility.

From all indications, the country is in a state of war and no one should pretend otherwise. The government must seek help immediately because it is becoming very apparent that the situation has overwhelmed it.”

“Similarly, the high level of insecurity has further worsened the economic situation of the country and has made the country to be going in and out of recession every time.

The twin problems of insecurity and economic recession must be addressed without further delay as this is taking a serious toll on the health, safety, and livelihoods of Nigerian workers.”

“We expect that the political elites would rise to the occasion and save the nation from total collapse.

“We are also using this platform to admonish the government in this post-covid-19 era that while people are gradually adjusting to the new normal, the Nigerian government needs to do more in facilitating citizen’s vaccination and ensure job security and socio-economic empowerment of Nigerians so that life could be more meaningful and abundant to promote a sharp decline in defiant behaviours,” the Union added.