The Federal Government has appealed to the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to reconsider its planned nationwide strike.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal in a statement issued by the Head of Information in the ministry, Mrs. Patience Onuobia.
He also urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw the red alert it issued to affiliate unions, asking them to prepare for an industrial action in solidarity with petroleum workers.
The minister called on both unions to shelve plans of shutting down the petroleum sector in order to preserve peace and stability in the nation’s critical oil and gas industry.
Dingyadi assured Nigerians that the dispute would be resolved amicably to avoid any disruption in the petroleum sector, which he described as vital to the nation’s economy.
Writing by Gladys Haruna