ABUJA, 29 Sept. - (ANA)  - Nigerian oil unions will try to resolve a labour dispute with the U.S. firm Chevron within two weeks, a union official said on Friday, after the unions threatened last week to go on strike nationwide.

 

Nigeria, an OPEC member, is Africa’s largest oil producer and West Africa’s largest economy.

 

Crude sales make up around two-thirds of government revenues, but the dilapidated state of refineries means the country has to import most of its refined fuel.

 

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have accused Chevron of attempting to sack thousands of workers in violation of their contracts.

 

The unions, Chevron and the government held talks on Thursday to try to resolve the dispute.

 

“At the end of the talks, it was resolved that the unions and Chevron should go back and resolve all outstanding issues within two weeks and come back to the Ministry of Labour for, hopefully, the last meeting, where the resolutions would be ratified,” said PENGASSAN General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa.Chevron did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/29 September 2018 - - -