*We are resolving with NUPENG national leadership -PHRC source

By Egufe Yafugborhi – Port Harcourt

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, has given Federal Government and management of the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) 72 hours to reverse March 29th sack of over 175 contract workers or the union would shut supply of petroleum products across the Port Harcourt Zone.

However, a top official of PHRC told Vanguard on anonymity that the “the management of NNPC was in touch with the national leadership of NUPENG and the matter will be resolved hopefully”.

Alex Agwanwor, National Treasurer, NUPENG, at the declaration of the ultimatum Thursday in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, said the development was tilted to a nationwide industrial action with consequences certain to compound prevailing hardship posed to the Nigerian populace by Coronavirus as the union members in refineries in Kaduna and Warri Zones were equally affected by job layoff.

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Narrating the PHRC situation, Mina Samuel, Zonal Chairman, NUPENG, Port Harcourt Zone, said apart from acting in defiance of extant labour laws and best practices in the sudden sack of the contractor workers, the timing underscored insensitivity on part of the PHRC.

Samuel described as disheartening, “The disengagement of Union members by management of PHRC on whose instruction its contractors acted to terminate jobs at this very point the entire world is being ravaged by Covid-19.

“It is the height of insensitivity that whereas the whole world is providing for citizens, putting in place palliatives, economic stimulus and protection of workers right, PHRC, a government agency is terminating jobs and deliberately infusing more hardship on workers”

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Consequently, NUPENG gives PHRC 72hours from 2 April to direct it’s contractors to withdraw all job termination letters issued all NUPENG members in their employ. We advice the refinery management to engage the union once normalcy is restored if need be.

“PHRC management leaves the NUPENG with no other option than calling all members within Port Harcourt Zone including Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Petrol Station Workers currently risking their lives to render essential services to the nation in the face of Covid-19, to halt the supply of petroleum products in solidarity with affected members”

The union further lamented that, “fuel tankers drivers and others on essential duties are currently not allowed to move freely in Rivers as a result of the lockdown by the state government. We appeal to the government to address this challenge in line with Mr President/State Governor’s directive on exemption of those on essential duty.”

Vanguard News Nigeria.