Petrol station union threatens strike

The Petrol Station Workers (PSW) branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) says it would embark on industrial action this week over the lingering crisis in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

President

of

PSW, Comrade Roland Abu said at a press conference in Lagos at the weekend that his union will embark on down-tooling and shut down of filling stations, immediately NUPENG embarks on the nationwide strike over the lingering crisis in IPMAN.

‘’The PSW members’ nation-wide will shutdown, once the strike starts and make sure it is enforced at the depots and filling stations nationwide’’, he said.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had penultimate week in Lagos gave 14-day ultimate for the actors in the IPMAN’s crisis to close ranks, failing which it will embark on nationwide strike to drive home its demand.

Abu said at the press conference that the Petrol Station Workers cannot continue to watch the damage the crisis has caused on its members in the depots and filling stations across the country who are in the chain of petroleum dispensing in the country.

He explained that the lingering crisis has affected their members adversely, as they are being treated by their IPMAN employers like slaves, due to the factionalisation in the body.

According

to

him, due to the division and protracted crisis in IPMAN, Petrol Station Workers have not been able to negotiate conditions of service for its members.

‘’ The PSW says that their members receive pittance as salaries ranging from N5000 to N8000 a month by IPMAN members - owned filling stations, which is modernday slavery.

‘’ The Petrol Station Workers expresses disgust at the outright refusal of the IPMAN past leadership to negotiate a conditions of service for its members who sell fuel to consumers at filling stations.

‘’ The lingering crisis in IPMAN has been responsible for the nonchalant attitude by IPMAN leadership, despite series of attempts by NUPENG, our parent body for them to see reason to put up conditions of service for our members’’.