NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed to our correspondent on Wednesday that depots and other petroleum facilities that were earlier shut down as a result of the two-day strike had been reopened.
When asked if the union had reopened depots that were shut on Monday and Tuesday, Akporeha simply replied, “Yes!”
Recall that NUPENG had embarked on a strike to protest the refusal of the Dangote refinery to allow its drivers to join the union.
It was alleged that Dangote barred the drivers being recruited for its 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks from joining any trade union or association.
On Monday, when the strike started, depots and some filling stations were shut, especially as the first meeting organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment failed to broker peace between the warring parties.
However, on Tuesday evening, both parties reached an agreement to work together, following the mediation of the Department of State Services.
“The management agreed with this fact and responded that they are not averse to the unionisation of their employees by labour unions in tandem with the provisions of the extant labour laws.
The president noted that PETROAN members have been directed to resume dispensing nationwide immediately. “Normalcy has returned to the petroleum sector as fuel supply returns to normal, with depots and filling stations resuming operations,” Gillis-Harry said.
He commended PETROAN members for their 100 per cent compliance nationwide during the strike, noting their discipline and solidarity.
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