VOA标准英语10月-Nigerian Oil Workers to Strike
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Oil workers in Nigeria say they will embark1 on an indefinite strike if the government fails to reverse the sale of two state-owned oil and gas companies within two weeks. The government says privatizing the two companies will make them more efficient and profit-driven. Gilbert da Costa reports from Abuja.The Petroleum2 and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers described the plan to sell off the Pipeline3 Products Marketing4 Company and the National Gas Company as a mistake that needs to be corrected.
They also demanded the resignation of Irene Chigbue, the head of the Bureau of Public Enterprises - over her handling of previous privatization deals.
Bureau of Public Enterprises spokesman Aniegbo Anichebe said the sale of the oil pipelines5 and gas companies, scheduled for 2011, is in the best interest of the industry.
He said, "When you look at that sector6, take a look at the oil marketing companies when they were not privatized and look at what is happening to them now that they are privatized. We sold some of them at 10 Naira; the highest was 20 Naira per share. Now some of them are like 200 Naira per share and at least people are getting dividends7."
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| A fighter of the Movement for the Emancipation8 of the Niger Delta9 (MEND), 17 Sep 2008 |
The Nigerian government recently announced the restructuring of the oil and gas sector to make it more independent and profit-driven.
Analysts10 said the sale of the two companies could lead to massive job losses. The government is yet to issue a response to the strike threat.
But an oil workers' strike could be devastating11 for the industry, which is struggling as results of disruptions caused by militants13 in the oil-producing southern region.
Last month, Nigeria's most prominent militant12 group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, declared an oil war in the region and launched strings14 of attacks on industry targets.
Daily oil production has been cut by about a quarter because of the attacks.
