Strike Action: FG, PENGASSAN meeting ends in deadlock
By Modupe Shodeinde
The meeting between the Federal Government and members of PENGASSAN, organised to put a stop to the strike action by the oil workers, has ended in a deadlock.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Sunday had declared nationwide strike as a result of the inability of the Federal Government to address the issues raised by the oil and gas workers.
The issues raised by the oil and gas workers were a fallout of the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, by the government regarding the payment of salaries.
A report by Punch stated that the government in a bid to end the strike, had called for a meeting with the worker’s union through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According to the newspaper, the Media Officer for PENGASSAN, Jerry Amah, had said the meeting was declared inconclusive following deadlock in some of the issues.
Amah said, “PENGASSAN maintained that Petroleum Training Institute and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency must be paid using the harmonised template (2015) since it has already been used by the budget office, appropriated by the National Assembly and signed by Mr. President into law.”
“Also that a high-powered committee, comprising NUPENG and PENGASSAN presidents, should be raised to settle the outstanding issues surrounding the IPPIS platform.”
