Former workers of Mobil Producing Nigeria have asked the management of the company to pay them N11.4bn as their terminal benefits.

It was learnt that over 1,444 affected people were engaged as service contract workers by the company and later laid off in 2012 without commensurate entitlements as contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement reportedly reached between them and the company.

The spokesman of the group, Mr. Godwin Idim, in Eket, said that some of their members had died in the course of the struggle to get the company pay their entitlements.

The CBA, dated July 1, 2010 and signed by a former Field Manager, Human Resources of MPNU, Mr. Seun Oluwole; the Assistant Secretary, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Mr. G. A. Tasker; the Chairman, Labour Contract, Mr. Ikohesa Ikohesa; and the Chairman, Service Contract, Mr. Aniedi Douglas, was made available to newsmen.

Idim called on the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, to save their souls by wading into the matter.

A counsel to the disengaged workers, Mr. Jacob Udobang & Associates, in a letter reminded the MPN of the need to settle with the workers, stressing that the existing labour law it signed with NUPENG and service contract employees remained binding.

He stated that majority of the affected workers were from the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom State and urged the MPN to pay the disengaged workers their entitlements in line with the CBA without delay.

But Mobil, in a letter dated February 25, 2013 and signed by Mr. Justin Ezeala, denied having any obligation whether directly or indirectly to pay terminal benefits to the disengaged workers.

“We are not aware of any labour contract collective bargaining agreement dated July 1, 2010 or any other date, signed between theMPN and representatives of your client,” the letter stated.

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