PENGASSAN

Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria popularly known as PENGASSAN is a Nigerian trade union formally established in November 1979. The union's jurisdiction is upper and middle level employees in the petroleum and gas industry as opposed to NUPENG, whose jurisdiction include junior staff members of the oil and gas industry. The impetus behind is establishment was to safeguard and promote the welfare of workers and national interest in the industry and regulate terms and conditions of employment. The union was affiliated with International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions.[1]

When the union was founded functional operations within oil and gas company was performed by permanent staff while the senior employees in the industry were automatically union members. Strikes by the organization such as one organized in the aftermath of June 12 election got the attention of the government but led to the imprisonment of its general secretary and the imposition of a sole administrator until the death of General Sani Abacha.[2] Recently, a gradual system of employing independent contractors and service contract staff within the oil industry has contributed to the reduction of PENGASSAN workers engaged in performing major functions in the industry.[3] In addition, automatic union membership was also discontinued in 2005.