Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) are on strike because multinational oil giant, TOTAL Nig. Plc reneged on an agreement with the union. , the Department of State Services (DSS) claims.
Ogar further disclosed that the matter was brought before the DSS by PENGASSAN officials in November, following which the Service summoned TOTAL’s Managing Director, Elizabeth Proust, saying the oil giant’s hard stance nature triggered the industrial action.
“The issue is the ongoing strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN which is biting hard on all Nigerians. We want to state that in November, 2014, PENGASSAN had written the Service to make a formal complaint about the transfer of Elo Victor Ogbonda to Lagos from Port Harcourt by TOTAL after she was elected as a zonal executive of the union”, said Ogar.
“Consequently, this Service summoned the managing director of TOTAL, Elizabeth Proust, on November 5, 2014, to resolve the dispute. It was agreed that Ogbonda would be re-instated, posted back to Port Harcourt and granted leave of absence for the period she would serve as an executive of PENGASSAN”.
Ogar said that PENGASSAN later informed the DSS that TOTAL had reneged on its promise to recall Ogbonda.
“Consequently, this Service contacted TOTAL and was informed that the company will not go back on its sack order. All entreaties to the company failed, thus culminating in the current strike and the attendant fuel scarcity”, Ogar said.