NUPENG Hails FG’s Anti-casualisation Policy

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has commended the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige for taking firm, patriotic measures to stem the tide of unfair labour practices in the oil and gas sector during the first term of the Buhari administration.

It described as laudable the efforts Ngige made in stemming the gale of redundancies and retrenchments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry

The union which stated its position in a congratulatory message to the minister on his re-appointment, extolled what it termed “bold and laudable efforts to put to an end, the near enslavement of Nigerians in the employ of the oil companies.”

“NUNPENG still remembers with joy and sincere appreciation, your bold and laudable efforts in stemming the gale of redundancies and retrenchments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry most especially at the earlier part of the first tenure of the administration when crude oil prices went down and oil companies were making attempts to make Nigerian workers pay for the downturn,” the letter signed by the NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha said.

A statement issued Thursday by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, quoted the union as having said that it regarded the disagreements it had with the minister during his first term as principled and were not strange in tripartite relations, adding that lessons have been mutually learnt.

“We will offer hands of fellowship and support in making your second term in this highly esteemed and honourable office rewarding, successful and positively impactful to the nation at large,” he said.