VZCZCXRO3056
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0368 1421628
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221628Z MAY 07
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8956
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 8769
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0047
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0376
RUEHCD/AMCONSUL CIUDAD JUAREZ 0355
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0354
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 0348
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH AFB UK
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS LAGOS 000368
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC
WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK
CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR
ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH
SAO PAULO FOR ANDREW WITHERSPOON
DOE FOR GPERSON, CAROLYN GAY
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART
STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB KDEM NI PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: OIL SECTOR LABOR UNIONS THREATEN MAY 24-25 STRIKE
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Oil Sector Unions To Protest Refinery Sales
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1. According to press reports, workers of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will wear red starting
May 21 in protest of the recent Bureau of Public Enterprise's
(BPE) sale of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries and
Stallion House in Lagos. If the Federal Government fails to
offer a "meaningful roundtable discussion," the National
Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and its
management counterpart, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior
Sector of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have threatened to carry out a
"total strike" on May 24 which could paralyze key oil and gas
services. In the downstream sector, the strike would
paralyze deliveries of petroleum products. Production may be
"partly affected," according to Poloff's PENGASSAN
interlocutor. The strike would be open-ended, continuing
until the government invites the unions to the negotiating
table. (Note: Initially, only NNPC members of PENGASSAN and
NUPENG will strike; if government is unresponsive, the unions
will consider expanding the strike to other members. End
Note.) On May 22 the unions began protesting at both
refineries and corporate headquarters in Abuja, according to
a PENGASSAN interlocutor.
2. A NUPENG official told Poloff the unions are not
protesting the industry's privatization, but are protesting
the BPE's failure to practice due diligence for the sale of
these holdings. Specifically, the official continued, BPE
has ignored a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the
unions which provides the unions two to three weeks to
explain the privatization process to its members and to carry
out their own due diligence on the prospective buyers. In a
public statement, one union leader said they would like to
know the fate of the over 4,000 employees who expect to be
made redundant.
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Labor & Civil Society To Protest Elections Over Holidays
--------------------------------------------- -----------
3. The Labor and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), composed
of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigeria Labor Congress
(NLC), and 39 civil society organizations, have announced a
protest against the 2007 elections, as well as a number of
other issues, including the government's failure to increase
civil service salaries. This protest, coinciding with the
inauguration of the new administration, takes place on May 28
and May 29. May 29 has been declared a public holiday,
Nigerian Democracy Day. A representative of the Trade Union
Congress told Poloff on May 22 he hoped the government and
police force would allow people to protest peacefully. While
the media suggests workers would remain home both days, our
interlocutor said they would gather in public areas such as
stadiums and perhaps on major roadways. He would not
disclose the locations or focal points for the nationwide
protests so as not to divulge their strategy.
BROWNE