The association said except the government salvage the situation, it members were directed to shut down all oil and gas exploitation, exploration and production for the period of the strike as from 12 midnight Tuesday.

The oil and gas senior staff association demanded the total implementation of the Minimum Wage law by both the public and private sectors employers, as there is nothing preventing government at all levels from totally implementing the law.

PENGASSAN said the shutting down of all oil and gas installations in the country is necessary to ensure that both the federal and state governments as well as private sector employers implement to law totally.

Speaking on the issue, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Babatunde Ogun,  said that unless the law is repealed, there is no alternative to the implementation of the Minimum Wage Act to the letter.

According to Ogun, “Government at all levels and the private sector must implement the minimum wage law and pay the wages as provide by the law. It is a law and it must be obeyed by employers in both the public sector and the private sector.

“For the government not to obey the law, it must first repeal the law. In the process of repealing the law, the government must first repeal all laws that govern payment of salaries, allowances and other emoluments to all political office holders, judiciary and others earning jumbo pay in the country. Drastic downward review of their emoluments is a prerequisite to any discussion on ability to pay or not.”

The PENGASSAN president noted that all state governors and employers of labour should implement the law first before thinking of negotiating with the organised labour in their respective states, explaining that the implementation will form the basis for the negotiation that will follow.