(Ecofin Agency) - Niger’s sole refinery, Soraz has resumed operations after it was shut down due to a strike over working conditions and pay, a union official revealed.

The strike which hindered the delivery of oil products from the plant for three days began last week Wednesday and ended during the weekend.

The Soraz refinery, is a joint venture between China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and the Niger government. Workers at the plant, which employs over 400, had initially launched several protests in 2015 due to differences in the payment of salaries between local and Chinese staffs.

According to Cisse Amadou, a spokesman for the oil workers' union, 80 tankers were laden with fuel all through the strike, compared to the usual 300. However, more strike actions have been planned since many workers' demands have not been met.

The Soraz plant processes approximately 12,000 to 16,000 bopd, representing the country’s solely significant means of converting crude oil into petroleum products like gasoline, Reuters reports.

Anita Fatunji