The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and its affiliate Union, PENGASSEN have directed all their members to stop loading of petroleum products from October 14.
The Port Harcourt zone of NUPENG and PENGASSEN gave the directive following the alleged assault on their members by officers of the Rivers state Police Command.
The Industrial relations Officer of NUPENG, Bassey Harry told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the management of Weather Ford Nigeria Limited allegedly connived with some officers of the Rivers state Police Command.
“The National Secretariat has given us a full support, that come October 14, all members of NUPENG, Petroleum station workers, kerosene dealers are hereby directed to shutdown all activities in Rivers state until the policemen are brought to book,” he said.
South South Zonal Coordinator of NUPENG, Godwin Eruba who offered more explanations to what happened, said some NUPENG members were illegally laid off at Wheatherford Limited in Port Harcourt.
Eruba lamented the role of the Police in the alleged victimization of its members.
According to Eruba, “We have an issue with Wheatherford. The company sascked our members without due consideration.
“We felt we needed to picket them which is very lawful. In the process of picketing them, they purported that they had gone to court to get an injunction.
“What we (NUPENG) were doing is to call the company to talk to them, discuss issues and put the matter to rest.
“But on the 12th of October, in the early hours of 3am, the Rivers state Police Command sent over 300 police vans with personnel armed to the teeth. They got to the point where our members are doing the picketing and destroyed the canopies. They manhandled and shot at our members and used tear gas. As we speak, four of our members are lying down in the hospital.
“The officer that gave that order is Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP F.M Adesanya”.
