Nigeria hopes for end to strike

Petrol stations have been shut

Government and union leaders in Nigeria are resuming talks to try to resolve an oil price dispute that has paralysed large parts of the country.

Officials say they are hopeful a deal can be done to end a five-day national strike which is hampering business activities in most cities.

The suffering is becoming unbearable now, there is no vehicle to take one to his destination

Lagos resident

Virtually all petrol stations remain closed in the commercial capital, Lagos, as striking oil tanker drivers stay away.

The government has refused to bow to union demands to withdraw its large increase in the petrol price, but has offered to cut it from 50% to 25%.

The price was raised last week from 20 to 30 naira per litre ($0.20-$0.30).

Information Minister Jerry Gana said the government hoped to reach an agreement on Monday with the umbrella trade union, the Nigerian Labour Congress.

Deal plea

State radio said on Monday that frustrated motorists in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, were urging union leaders to accept the government offer, which they rejected last week.

Markets have been deserted in some cities

"The suffering is becoming unbearable now, there is no vehicle to take one to his destination. Government should do something now," said one witness in Lagos, where some of the worst effects of the strike have been seen.

However, officials from Nigeria's oil industry say they have not been affected by the strike.

Some flights are now reported to be operating from Lagos's two airports after a complete shutdown at the start of the strike.

Test

Senior civil servants have been told by a senior government official that they must return to work immediately or risk losing their jobs.

President Obasanjo: Testing time a year into his rule

The strike is being seen as a test of strength for the unions - which have re-emerged in the past year following the return to democratic rule.

The price of petrol and diesel has long been one of Nigeria's hottest political issues.

The country has large oil reserves and its production costs are low, so Nigerians have come to see very cheap petrol as their right - the one certain benefit they get from their national oil wealth.

Attempts in the past to raise the price have brought an angry reaction on the streets.