Subsidy cash: NUPENG issues strike notice.

By Yusuf Alli, Abuja.

ACHESE

A major fuel crisis is likely this week, with junior workers in the oil sector serving a strike notice.
They told the government yesterday to pay up the subsidy arrears to marketers or face a strike from Thursday.
National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President  Igwe Achese accused Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of selective payment of subsidy claims. He urged her to pay other claimants.
Achese, who spoke in Lagos, warned that should the government allow the strike to begin, it will be indefinite. 
But the government yesterday intensified its trouble shooting, with the relocation to Lagos of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the coordinating Minister of the Economy, to meet with major oil marketers.
Government spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe said the authorities are set to resolve the issues in contention to stop the fuel scarcity in Abuja and prevent its spread to other parts of the country.
The Presidency also said it was making concerted efforts at resolving the looming crisis in the power sector over payment of severance allowance of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers.
Okupe said the government was taking a multi-faceted approach in resolving all the issues.
This, the presidential aide explained, is why the Finance Minister moved to Lagos.
Okupe’s statement reads: “The Federal Government is making serious and intense efforts at averting what may seem to be a looming industrial crises involving NUPENG , oil marketers , Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria staff and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“The approach taken by government at resolving this crisis is multi-faceted and multi dimensional. 
“The Ministers of Labour, Power and other high level officers of government have met for several hours with the aggrieved PHCN workers and virtually all their demands have been agreed upon, except for the issue of severance benefits of workers.  
While the workers insist on their terms of employment, government’s proposition is based on the Pension Act of 2004. However, this matter will most probably be resolved favourably within the coming week by the Presidency.
“In the same vein, the coordinating minister of the economy and Finance minister, Dr Ngozi  Okonjo – Iweala has shifted  her base temporarily to Lagos in spite of the holidays and has been engaged intensively also with the aggrieved marketers , union members and other stakeholders in the downstream sector.
“All indications are to the effect that favourable resolutions are being reached and all matters are likely to be resolved within this week, as all these efforts are being made to ensure that the crisis that has caused a lot of hardship to commuters and motorists is not unduly prolonged and does not also extend beyond the city of Abuja in the case of the fuel scarcity.
“The Federal Government, therefore, urges Nigerians to be calm, as all hands are on deck to ensure that normalcy returns soonest.”
But the NUPENG boss said: “We are involved in the ongoing strike in the Federal Capital Territory to demand for payments of subsidy because of our traditional role of protecting workers who are Nigerians and members of NUPENG in the mid and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, especially those working at the private depots as their employers cannot pay them because of government’s debt.”
He added: “Our members are being owed five months salary because of the problem.”
Comrade Achese then threatened: “If the Federal Government does not pay the subsidy by Tuesday or Wednesday, NUPENG will embark on a nationwide strike by Thursday.”
He explained: “Government said it had paid about N400 billion as subsidy arrears for 2011 and 2012, and from Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s explanation, N200 billion was paid in excess as subsidy arrears.
“We are worried that there was selective payment as the real depot owners are yet to be paid because their workers are being owed.
“We urge the government to announce the names of those that have been paid the subsidy arrears because those who have investments and employees in the sector are yet to receive any money,’’ Achese said.
He said NUPENG was open to dialogue to resolve the issues.
The union president expressed concern about the diversion of crude oil meant for the refineries which, he alleged, is being sold in the open market.
“That is why we are calling on government to begin the Turn-Around-Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries to boost fuel supply in the country,’’ he said.
Achese also reiterated the need to repair roads, especially those in the East-West area, to ensure steady supply of petroleum products.
“We may be forced to stop transporting products on bad roads because petrol and kerosene are volatile products and we cannot continue to expose the people to the risks involved. 
“What the country generates from the petroleum sector is enough to take care of our roads and infrastructure,’’ he said.
On casualisation of workers, the union leader condemned the inhuman treatment meted out to workers in some of the oil and gas companies.
“We have raised the alarm about what some Nigerians who work for some companies in the sector are suffering. After 25 years of service, they are sacked without pension and paid only one month salary,’’ he said.
Achese urged government to take an urgent decision on the issue to stem the abuse of workers in the oil and gas companies.