ABUJA – Some FCT residents on Tuesday appealed to Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shelve its planned three-day warning strike over the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PENGASSAN had planned to embark on a three-day warning strike to protest the delay in the PIB and other anti-labour activities of employers in the oil and gas sector.
The warning strike followed the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association to the Federal Government and other concerned employers and agencies in the sector.
The residents told NAN that if the association carried out its threat to go on strike, Nigerians would suffer, especially when Christmas was at hand.
Dr Musa Baba, a businessman, urged the association to dialogue with the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the incessant strikes by the oil body.
Baba said that embarking on strike would cause more hardship for the common Nigerian who was struggling to earn a living.
“Personally, I do not think that going on strike will solve the problem on ground, rather it will further impoverish Nigerians,’’ he said.
Baba noted that every strike had its negative consequences on the economy and the people.
“You know that whenever there is a strike, there will also be attendant consequences,’’ he said.
Mr Abiodun Olupitan, a contractor, said that the association might have tried to be heard but that there was still room for continuous dialogue with government.
According to him, government on its part has over the years not shown serious concern over the complaints of the association.
He said that government must not wait until there was threat to embark on strike before negotiating with unions.
Mrs Tale Muftau, a petty trader appealed to the association to reason with their Christian brothers who would be celebrating Christmas few days ahead.
“I plead with PENGASAN not to go on strike for the sake of their fellow Christian brothers who are going to celebrate Christmas soon,’’ she said.
Muftau called on the government to also play its own part to ensure that the planned strike was put off.
Mr John Ali, an ICT consultant, said that if not for the Christmas ahead, he would have preferred the association to embark on the planned strike since the only language government understands was strike.
He, however, advised the association to exhaust all available options of dialogue before going on strike as it was capable of resolving the matter in contention. (NAN)