The dispute forced the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, to threaten a nationwide strike.
NUPENG had issued a 14-day ultimatum to government to intervene in the lingering dispute affecting its Oil and Gas, OGS, branch, employed by JEPTFON, or members would down tools.
The union had vowed that members would embark on a total strike without further notice once the 14-day ultimatum earlier issued expired tomorrow.
However, General Secretary of NUPENG, Comrade Elijah Okougbo, said government representatives had begun discussion with officials of the union in Abuja.
According to him, since discussions were on, the planned industrial action had been put on hold, lamenting that because of the debt burden, MRS Oil and Gas last week sacked the remaining NUPENG members in its employment.
Okougbo said the Federal Government committee set up over the matter had recommended in 2010, for a 15-year time frame for the repayment of the loan, but lamented that the government had not yet implemented the report, while the perceived harassment by banks for the repayment of the loan had crippled activities of JEPTFON members.
NUPENG had also prevailed on government to allow the debtors pay a three per cent interest rate for the loans.
He said the banks had been disturbing JEPTFON to pay back the loans and that the situation had become so grave that the union was compelled to write the Federal Government pleading with it to intervene by prevailing on the banks to allow a 15 years repayment plan and at three per cent interest rate for its members.
Okougbo also said most members of JEPTFON had been forced to prune their staff strength to be able to meet up with the loan repayment deal.
.png)
