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 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
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