NUPENG SEES REASON WITH FG, SUSPENDS NATIONWIDE STRIKE
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has withdrawn its threat to go on strike today in order to dialogue with the federal government at a meeting in Abuja today.
The union, which met with a federal government delegation behind closed doors in Lagos yesterday agreed to reconvene in Abuja to continue negotiations to resolve the dispute over non-payment of subsidy arrears to some fuel marketers.

But the situation in Abuja remains unchanged as the strike embarked upon by NUPENG is biting hard and no filling station was selling fuel to motorists yesterday.
President of the union, Comrade Achese Igwe, told media in a telephone interview yesterday, that NUPENG is willing to dialogue with the government and the outcome of today’s meeting will determine whether the union would go ahead with its nationwide strike.
He said, “We will attend the meeting and the interest of the masses will be considered first in our decisions. The interest of the masses has always been our concern whenever we want to take any action.”
NUPENG had earlier signified its intention to begin a nationwide strike today if the Federal Government failed to remit subsidy money to some fuel marketers.

TUC dissociates from NUPENG strike
Meanwhile, the President of the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Peter Esele, has condemned the proposed strike by NUPENG.
Esele, a former president of PENGASSAN had condemned what he called a baseless strike by NUPENG and disassociated the TUC from the strike.

Describing NUPENG’s conduct as disgraceful, the TUC President called on the government not to bow to the cheap blackmail by fraudulent oil marketers who he claimed are bent on milking the nation dry.

He further urged the federal government not to hesitate to take every measure to punish the culprits, saying there was the need to ensure that indicted oil marketers pay every kobo back to the government.