Momentum is gathering ahead of the meeting between the Federal Government and members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Work, (NUPENG) today by 11:30am.
The parties are meeting to discuss the industrial declared by the United Labour Congress (ULC), in which NUPENG is an affiliate of.
Business Post gathered from a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press, in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr Samuel Olowookere, that the meeting is scheduled to take place at the office of the Minister, Mr Chris Ngige.
Our correspondent reports that today’s meeting between the government and NUPENG, according to Mr Olowookere, is a “crucial conciliatory” one.
The Minister will have audience with the union’s president and the executive.
Last Monday, a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Bolaji Adebiyi, had quoted the Minister as saying ULC was not yet a federal government recognized federation of trade unions.
Other trade unions, the Nigerian Union Congress (NUC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have both described ULC as illegal.
Apart from NUPENG, other unions under ULC are telecommunication unions, aviation unions, Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), National Electricity Employees Union (NUEE); and National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE).
ULC embarked on a strike action demanding immediate release its registration certificate, review of the privatisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), withdrawal of security operatives from different places of work, inclusion in the minimum wage committee and establishment of a task force to immediately carry out factory inspections, among others.
Modupe Gbadeyanka