By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Yemie Adeoye
THERE are fears of imminent scarcity of fuel across the country as the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday directed its members in Lagos zone to begin an indefinite strike tomorrow over an industrial dispute with Chevron Nigeria Limited.

The decision to embark on strike, Vanguard gathered, was reached yesterday by the leaders of the Lagos zone of NUPENG which comprises Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Akure, Osun, Ondo and Kwara States.

Vanguard gathered that the dispute with Chevron started about two weeks ago following the sack of all elected officials of NUPENG in LFA, a contractor to Chevron, after they were inaugurated.

Vanguard gathered that workers and leaders of Lagos zone of NUPENG and the management of Chevron were meeting at the Lagos office of the Ministry of Labour to resolve the matter, but the management of Chevron was said to have gone to court to get injunction restraining its workers from embarking on strike.

This development was said to have angered the leadership of NUPENG in the zone and at meeting in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, decided to call out its members from the zone to commence an indefinite strike from tomorow in solidarity with perceived victimised workers of Chevron.

Confirming the development to Vanguard, Chairman of Lagos Zone of Chairman, Comrade Tokunbo Korodo, said Nigerian should Chevron responsible for the consequences of the industrial action.

According to him: “WE have just finished a meeting of the leadership Lagos zone of NUPENG where it was resolved that members in the Zone which comprises south west states and Ilorin, Kwara state. The strike in an indefinite one until the Chevron recall the sacked officials because it was the management of Chevron that induced LFA to sack them, and recognise them ad dully elected officials of NUPENG in LFA..

The workers had been on strike since and we were meeting with the management of Chevron and the Lagos office of the Federal Ministry of Labour before Chevron went to court to obtain injunction restraining its workers from embarking on strike. So, this action which commences on Wednesday, is a solidarity strike to compel the management of Chevron to do the right thing.

Efforts to get a reaction from Chevron at the time of this report were not forthcoming as Chevron Spokesman, Mr Femi Odumabo, said Vanguard should kindly send its enquiries by email so that he could attend to it Tomorrow (today), as he has just arrived from a trip.