Labour leaders divided over impending NUPENG strike.

 by Olusola Fabiyi and Fidelis Soriwei.

Organised labour is divided over the given strike to be embarked on by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.

NUPENG has since last Thursday commenced a strike in the Federal Capital Territory over the Federal Government’s failure to pay subsidy claims to fuel importers. It said the strike would become national at the end of the Eid-El Fitr celebrations.

Investigations on Monday showed that labour leaders were divided over the decision by NUPENG to embark on the strike because of the alleged refusal of the Ministry of Finance to honour subsidy claims of fuel importers.

The PUNCH learnt that some of the NUPENG leaders felt that the government should pay outstanding claims to save the jobs of members.

The Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners had after its meeting on July 17 given a notice to sack some NUPENG members because of non-payment of subsidy claims.

It was learnt those who backed NUPENG argued that the government’s refusal to pay the claims would lead to job loss.

Investigations, however, revealed that some labour leaders felt that the government should not be pushed to pay fraudulent claims.

It was learnt that labour leaders feared that NUPENG was being used by the powerful cartel to cow President Goodluck Jonathan.

More so, those in opposition to industrial action by NUPENG are of the view that the influential union did not take part in the industrial action called by organised labour to protest the removal of the fuel subsidy by Jonathan’s administration in January.

Commenting on the strike, the NLC on Sunday told one of our correspondents that the government should pay only genuine claims.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers’ President, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, said government should ensure strict measures on payment of claims.

He also advised unions to critically analyse their actions before embarking on strike.

Efforts made to get the reaction of the National President of NUPENG, Achese Igwe, to the claims were futile as the repeated calls placed to his mobile telephone indicated that it was switched off.

But the Chairman of the Abuja branch of the association, Chief Benneth Korie, in an interview on Monday said that the strike would go national after the Sallah holiday (Wednesday).

“How can you ask somebody why are you fighting for your master, who is paying you? So, you leave him to die? All you know is your salary, you don’t even think about the business. When the business goes, you go too. Will he go and bring money from his blood and give you?” Korie asked.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Monday stepped up efforts to end the strike.

While the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, said that the Federal Government would meet with NUPENG on Wednesday (tomorrow), the Presidency assured that the lingering fuel and power crises in the country would soon be resolved.

The minister, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents expressed surprise at the NUPENG strike

He said that the Federal Government had taken steps to intervene in the crisis which he said had taken its toll on motorists in Abuja.

Wogu wondered why the tankers drivers would embark on a strike action in the issue of the payment of subsidy claims by the Finance Ministry.

He said, “I have had a meeting with them and I have directed that we will meet on Wednesday to discuss this issue.

“Purely they are employees of oil companies; this is a different thing entirely. The Federal Government is taking steps on the issue. Some fillings stations are already selling, we are working out something.”

The Presidency has allayed fears over the fuel crisis in Abuja.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, stated this in a statement he made available to our correspondent in Abuja.

He said that both the Ministers of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu and his Power counterpart, Mr. Barth Nnaji, had met with aggrieved members of the unions responsible for the strike that had crippled the Federal Capital Territory for about four days now.

Okupe said, “The Federal Government is making serious and intense efforts at averting what may seem to be a looming industrial crisis involving NUPENG , oil marketers , Power Holding Company of Nigeria staff and the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“The approach taken by government at resolving this crisis is multi-faceted and multi dimensional.”