All operations at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have come to a halt due to an ongoing indefinite strike by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
This strike action, which began on Monday, has seen operations at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja and its various field offices nationwide disrupted.
The reason for this strike is a disagreement about training programs, with employees protesting management’s decision to move certain specialized trainings from international training centers to local facilities.
According to a source at the commission, this row has taken a new dimension, especially concerning the technical training involved in Factory Acceptance Tests for Positive Displacement meters.
The source says that there is an insistence by the workers that some of the programs demand international exposure which may not be possible in Nigeria.
Also, management is said to be emphasizing on local training as a cost-cutting measure.
The news of the strike was confirmed by NUPRC spokesman Eniola Akinkuotu, who revealed that while administrative activities have been hampered by the strike action by the labor unions, oil and gas production activities are not affected.
“It is indeed true that some of our administrative functions have been affected by the strike action, but oil and gas facilities and production are not affected.”
Akinkuotu further stated that the commission had begun negotiations with the trade unions on the matter to ensure normalcy is restored.
Meanwhile, talks are underway between the two sides, with their negotiators expected to meet in the office of the National Security Adviser to try and sort out the impasse.
According to industry insiders, failure to end the strike will have an impact on the regulatory processes involved in the upstream petroleum industry.
