Nigerian oil workers joining strike?

This is a video about the Nigerian strike.

By Tom Mellen:

Nigerian oil workers may join strike

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Nigerian oil workers told the government today to restore a scrapped petrol subsidy or they’ll shut down production entirely.

The Pengassan and Nupeng unions said they were in talks to down tools in support of workers across the country, who were on the streets for a third day in a nationwide strike against the rise in fuel prices.

Pengassan national industrial relations officer Chika Onuegbu said an oil workers’ strike would “mark the beginning of the next phase of the protest” and would be “disastrous” for the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s government relies on crude exports for 95 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and most of its revenue.

Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke ordered all striking workers back to work on Tuesday evening, warning that their employers would enforce a “no work, no pay policy.”

But Nigeria Labour Congress deputy president Promise Adewusi said workers would “not be deterred by the government threat.

“We were very conscious that the instrument exists before we decided on this course of action, but the strike continues.”

The industrial action has closed Lagos’s busy Apapa port, cutting off cargo shipments. Businesses remain closed and most international flights have been cancelled.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Lagos, Abuja and Kano again today.

Almost all of the protests were peaceful, but groups of young people reportedly attacked a police car with sticks and tore down signposts in a posh Lagos neighbourhood.

Police have killed 13 people since the protests began on Monday, according to local media.

A union representing 20,000 oil and gas workers in Nigeria announced today that it will shut down all production from Sunday unless the government restores a petrol subsidy it scrapped on January 1: here.

Hundreds of thousands have demonstrated throughout Nigeria over the past three days in an escalating general strike against the government of President Goodluck Jonathan: here.

The Tunisian General Labour Confederation (CGTT) announced on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2012, that Tunisian Italian Petrol Exploitation Company (SITEP) workers will be going on an open strike and that it will only end once agreements formerly made on February 2, 2011, are implemented: here.