Effective leadership has enhanced socio-economic interests of members, says PENGASSAN

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has testified to successes of effective leadership, comradeship and followership, as values it has exercised in promoting and protecting the socio-economic interests of its members.

The oil workers said through exercising the tasks, success has been made in the areas of collective bargaining and social dialogue with its stakeholders and other social partners in the sector.

PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said this during a two-day workshop organised by the Port Harcourt zone of the association, which was held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Osifo said through the move, conditions of employment, compensation and benefits have been enhanced through innovative compensation models, noting that the secretariat staff has also benefited immensely too.

Speaking on the theme of the workshop, ‘Nigeria’s Economic Crisis and the Survival of its Oil and Gas Industry’, he said it was apt, especially at this era in the country’s national development when issues of the adverse effects of the various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic are still hitting hard on the oil and gas industry.

According to him, for a nation that derives more than 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings from activities in oil and gas, the sustenance of every actor in the sector therefore becomes paramount.

He stated that the workshop would identify key driving forces for the survival of the industry, the union, the workforce, the supposed threats posed by alternative energy and other realities.

He challenged the participants to maximise the experiences they’d garner to stimulate them towards a better understanding of their roles and challenges, as labour leaders in reshaping not only the sector but for the betterment of the country.

He said the workshop, which is the first in the series of workshops and training, has been scheduled by the association’s zones to train and re-train members and staff.

Osifo also revealed plans to reintroduce staff synergy workshops, alongside the sustenance of Central Working Committee (CWC) capacity development programmes.