By Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG
THE National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday suspended its ongoing industrial action and resumed fuel supplies to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

The suspension followed series of stakeholders meetings initiated by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and attended by the Minister of State (Works), Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi.

Two of such meetings were held on Tuesday in Abuja, while the third meeting took place yesterday.
At the end of yesterday’s meeting, it was resolved that NUPENG would nominate two members to the Roads Monitoring Team of the Federal Ministry of Works.

Also it was resolved that the Minister of Labour would inaugurate a technical working group on casualisation and contract staffing in the oil and gas industry.

NUPENG was demanding  that government immediately repairs dilapidated roads across the country, releases  the draft report of the Standing Committee on Industrial Relations matters in the oil and gas industry mandated to draft a manual of procedure to guide contract staffing and outsourcing for adoption and implementation and that all oil companies and their Labour and Service Contractors should put in place verifiable conditions of service for all Labour and Service contract workers with well defined terminals. benefits. among others.

Until yesterday, the union had since on Tuesday announced the suspension of fuel supplies to Abuja.
Speaking at the end of the communiqué signing ceremony today, NUPENG President Comrade Igwe Achese said: “For us in NUPENG we will continue to work and give the government all the necessary support as we have often said and we will continue to do that. We will also appeal to government to create those enabling environment for us to continue to create that support that will move this government forward.”

On his part, Petroleun and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Ogun said:“It is important for you to know that the oil and gas workers want to support this government and we strongly believe that our collaboration and working together will go a long way to make sure that the country moves forward.”

The two page communiqué read in part: “At the end of the meeting held with the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Friday the 6th of August, 2010, the following agreements were reached:-.That NUPENG will nominate two of its members to be on the Roads’ Monitoring Team of the Federal Ministry of Works.

That a “Technical Working Group on Casualisation and Contract Staffing in the Oil and Gas sector” will be inaugurated on Friday, the 13th of August, 2010 by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Productivity to review existing Memorandum of Understanding on casualisation/contract staffing as well as the outcome of the stakeholders forum on the issue, with a view to coming up with  relevant guidelines not later than three months from the date of inauguration.

That client Companies in the sector should ensure that their contractor employees are not denied the rights to unionise and bargain with their employers. That the industrial action embarked upon by NUPENG is hereby suspended.”