The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike which began on Sunday.
The suspension followed the intervention of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru.
In a statement issued by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, on Monday in Abuja, Baru said his intervention was in national interest.
Baru approved the increase in bridging costs from N6.20 to N7.20.
Bridging is money paid tanker drivers per kilometer for trucking petroleum products from depots to final destinations.
“In mediating between the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), we understand the difficulty of NARTO to go into negotiations which has to do with the level of bridging allowance.
”I am happy to announce that the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has given his approval to increase the bridging allowance from N6.20 to N7.20,” Baru said in the statement.
He said the review should give NARTO the breathing space to engage with PTD to immediately discuss and resolve as many of the issues as possible, adding that the gesture was expected to normalise relations between the unions.
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