Adamant: Hardest metal
Friday, February 21, 2003

Nigeria oil strike halted

news.bbc.co.uk

Nigeria is the world's seventh biggest oil exporter

Nigerian oil workers have called off a six day strike after talks with the government.

But oil workers in Venezuela are planning fresh protests following the arrest of a strike leader.

Nigeria's oil strike has not affected exports as replacement staff have been used to load supplies.

But the government feared a long-running strike would damage the country's economy.

Oil exports account for more than 80% of Nigerian government revenue and more than 90% of foreign exchange earnings.

Venezuela

Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources said it had thrashed out a deal in Lagos with member of the senior staff union, Pengassan.

Pengassan staff walked out on Saturday in support of demands including greater autonomy, higher pay, and payment of allowances arrears, some dating back to 2000.

The union's national secretary-general Kenneth Narebor said: "We have finished and worked on a communique which has been signed and we have agreed to suspend the action."

Meanwhile, Venezualan oil workers said they planned to picket the offices and installations of state oil firm PDVSA.

The workers - 12,000 of whom were sacked by the country's president Hugo Chavez - were not planning to occupy oil installations, they said.

But the protests are expected to take on an added momentum after the arrest of business chief and opposition leader Carlos Fernandez.

Heavily-armed police grabbed him and bundled him into a car, at a restaurant in Caracas.

Venezuela was brought to its knees by a two month long strike, aimed at ousting President Chavez.

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