Nigerian oil workers strike over year's worth of back pay

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigerian oil workers on Saturday launched an indefinite strike that could shut down crude exports in the world's sixth-largest oil exporter.

The strike over pay and working conditions comes as the threat of war in Iraq and a prolonged strike in Venezuela have pushed oil prices to two-year highs. Half of Nigerian exports go to the United States.

The action was launched by workers of the Department of Petroleum Resources, a key government unit overseeing operations of oil multinationals like ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, Royal Dutch/Shell and TotalFinaElf. It is backed by the country's powerful Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, or PENGASSAN.

The strike aims to paralyze the loading of crude oil at export terminals, but PENGASSAN is threatening to shut down operations across the industry, if the government does not meet its demands by the middle of next week.

"We started shutting down today," PENGASSAN spokesman Femi Familoni said, but added the effect would likely not be felt until Monday.

A Shell spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said the company was taking steps to minimize the impact of the strike. He declined to elaborate. Officials at other companies could not immediately be reached for comment.

Strikers are demanding more than a year's worth of back pay, including unpaid overtime, expenses and travel allowances. They are also demanding greater autonomy and better financing for the department.