NUPRC Suspends Workers’ Industrial Action After Talks With Unions

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has suspended the industrial action initiated by its workers following successful negotiations between management and labour unions.

The workers had commenced a strike on Monday over internal grievances, with sources within the agency indicating that the dispute was linked to concerns over foreign training opportunities and related welfare issues.

However, in a statement issued by the Commission’s Head of Media, Eniola Akinkuotu, the NUPRC said the strike was called off on Monday night after discussions with its two in-house unions—the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

According to the Commission, the industrial action lasted about 12 hours before it was suspended following the intervention and resolution reached between both parties.

The NUPRC said the brief strike had limited impact on its operations, clarifying that only administrative activities were affected while regulatory functions across oil and gas facilities continued without disruption.

“The Commission therefore calls on members of the public to disregard false reports on crude oil production disruptions as well as misleading publications stating that the disagreement centered on foreign training,” the statement read.

The Commission further explained that there was no interruption to oil production activities or the ongoing licensing round during the period of the strike.

Efforts to obtain additional clarification from the Commission’s communications department were unsuccessful, as only a brief statement was issued that did not directly confirm or deny claims that the dispute was triggered by foreign training-related issues.

The statement added that the Commission remains committed to improving staff welfare and enhancing the working environment in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

NUPRC also assured that it would continue to prioritise employee development and maintain constructive engagement with labour unions to prevent future disruptions.