Friday 02 May 2003 Nigerian oil rig siege  | President Obasanjo of Nigeria has called a meeting to try to solve a disagreement in which about 100 foreign oil workers are being held hostage on 4 offshore drilling platforms. The crisis began 2 weeks ago when employees onboard the rigs went on strike. This report from Dan Isaacs: |
 Listen to the story Although the protestors aren't armed, the safety of those being held onboard the rigs is causing increasing concern. Navy ships are on standby should they be required to intervene, and this has agitated the strikers who have made threats to the lives of those held if force were used against them.
After two weeks of negotiation between Transocean, the American-based company operating the rigs and local union representatives ended in deadlock, President Obasanjo has called both sides together again to resolve what has become an embarrassing issue for the Nigerian government - always keen to avoid bad publicity over insecurity in its oil producing regions.
The strikers are demanding improved conditions of service as well as the reinstatement of colleagues recently sacked for a disciplinary offence. Both the local workers' union and some of the foreign workers trapped aboard the rig have accused the management of Transocean of heavy handedness in its approach to resolving this dispute.
Dan Isaacs, BBC News, Lagos. Listen to the words rigs large structures that are used to look for oil or gas in the seabed or in the ground on standby ready to help or take action if necessary to intervene to get involved in a situation to try to change it or improve the result agitated to be so worried about something or someone that you cannot think clearly or stay calm deadlock a time during a disagreement when neither side will give way, so the situation cannot be resolved reinstatement to be given back a job or place that was taken away, a formal word sacked dismissed from a job, an informal word a disciplinary offence an action that can result in punishment, such as being sacked from a job trapped unable to leave or move from an unpleasant place or situation heavy handedness speaking or acting in a forceful or harsh way without enough care or thought | |  | | | SEARCH IN LEARNING ENGLISH | | | |
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