Nigeria on course for oil strike as talks fail

[struggle4progress]

Posted: 5:54 AM | Mar. 31, 2005
Agence France-Presse

ABUJA -- Nigerian oil workers declared Wednesday that it would take a miracle to avert a nationwide strike after talks with government and oil majors on working conditions broke down in deadlock. A three-day "warning strike" is due to begin on April 11 in protest at what the unions see as a creeping use of casual labor by international energy giants and the government.

News of the protest is likely to force world oil prices higher.

"The meeting has had no effect on our planned action, except if some miracle happens between now and Tuesday. But for now nothing has changed," Peter Akpatason, the leader of one of the blue-collar union NUPENG told Agence France-Presse. <snip>

http://money.inq7.net/breakingnews/view_breakingnews.php?yyyy=2005&mon=03&dd=31&file=2

[happyslug]

1. Jackals fighting over what is left of the oil in the country?

ASPO say Nigeria can and will produce 2.1 Billion Barrels of Oil a year for the next five years but than go into a slow decline:
http://www.asponews.org/ASPO.newsletter.027.php

The EIA believes Nigeria's claim it can double production over the same time period:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/nigeria.html

So what is happening? While price appears to be up, production has been level and with the increase demands by the ruling elite for more money something had to break (and thus the problem in Nigeria, total revenue has NOT matched total demand for that Revenue and now people are fighting over the Revenue).