Details have emerged on why workers of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), on Monday declared an indefinite nationwide strike.
The Witness understands that the industrial action has led to a total shutdown of regulatory activities at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja and all field offices across the country.
According to insider sources, the workers shut down all commission offices nationwide over a dispute concerning foreign training programmes.
The source revealed that the strike followed a breakdown in negotiations between the union and management over the handling of staff training, particularly the commission’s position that capacity-building initiatives should be conducted locally rather than through overseas programmes.
“Management had insisted that training programmes, especially those related to Factory Acceptance Tests for Positive Displacement (PD) Meters, be conducted within Nigeria to reduce costs and strengthen local institutional capacity. This position was, however, rejected by the workers,” the source said.
The Witness gathered that representatives of both parties are currently meeting at the office of the National Security Adviser, with a resolution likely to be reached soon.