FG Urged To Initiate Strong Industrial Policy To End Crises In The Oil And Gas Industry, And Dialogue With PENGASSAN

 By Lola SERIKI- IDAHOSA, Kaduna
 The persistent crises facing the oil and gas industry manifesting in
 low output, serial sabotage, attacks by militants, job losses and
 workers' strikes will not abate unless Buhari administration initiate
 strong industrial policies as contained in the 2014 Nigeria Industrial
 Revolution Plan to advance social, economic and environmental
 sustainability in the sector.

 Comrade Issa Aremu, former vice chairman NLC said this in a statement
 which urged the federal government in the spirit of social dialogue to
 intensify negotiation with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff
 Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) with a view of resolving the issues
 in dispute which led to the ongoing industrial action by the union.
 Some of the issues in dispute include the lingering irregular joint
 venture funding and cash call payments, lack of a clear cut direction
 on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), forceful co-option of government
 agencies in the industry into the Integrated Personnel Payroll
 Information System (IPPIS), and the spate of redundancy and
 retrenchment in the industry.

  Comrade Aremu  said its time Nigeria put an end to endless crises in
 petroleum sector just as other OPEC countries have done through
 sustainable industrial policy and effective implementation of labour
 standards in the sector that includes promotion of collective
 bargaining, income adequacy for the workers, job security, promotion
 of dialogue between industry and trade unions and enforcement of
 labour laws that restrict precarious work. He said Buhari
 administration's commitment to diversification must not lead to
 abandonment of commitment in the extractive oil sector such as
 irregular joint venture funding and cash call payments. According to
 him "real diversification of the economy must  start with oil and gas
 industry through value-added processing and manufacturing, which
 promote mass job creation, transfers of skills and technologies". He
 said “it was unacceptable that Nigeria exports limited crude oil and
 gas, whilst same time importing wholesale value-added petroleum based
 products such as diesel, jet fuel, fuel oil, fertilizers, etc with
 attendant loss of scarce foreign exchange, loss of few jobs at home
 and even scandalous export of jobs".  Comrade Aremu observed that the
 current "adhoc reactive "buy-the-peace" in the sector must give way to
 a proactive wholistic industrial development plan that must start with
 the passage of the age long Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)" adding that
 the greatest allies of the government are the sector unions; PENGASSAN
 and  NUPENG if properly engaged in genuine social dialogue.  He said
 industry is a key driver of jobs and development for national
 economies and the foundation of good living standard and called for
 strong industrial policies that advance social, economic and
 environmental sustainability. The Africa regional Chairman of the 50
 million members IndustriALL Global Union urged the Federal government
 to take urgent measures to address the legitimate demands of the oil
 workers and save the economy from the negative impact of the ongoing
 industrial action by the workers