Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, is set to begin a three-day nationwide warning strike on Wednesday, over disputes with International Oil Companies, IOCs, especially indiscriminate sack of workers without benefits and refusal to allow their workers to join union.
The union has been having running battles with some of the IOCs, including Exxon/Mobil and Chevron Nigeria Limited, over unfair labour practices, especially perceived unprocedural sack of workers without benefits, breach of Nigerian extant labour laws in their divestment exercises.
Chevron was alleged to have sacked over 300 NUPENG members without benefits late last year and efforts by the union for them to be recalled proved abortive.
It was also gathered that the directive by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, that all parties return to status quo was not heeded to by the Chevron after the union called off its action against the company in obedience to the ministry’s directive. Similarly, Mobil in December 14, 2016, sacked over 100 workers without following laid down procedure, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
The union accused the management of Mobil of flagrant violation of Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD, Act of 2010, by deploying expatriates to take over jobs for which there is local capacity.
Already members of the National Executive Council, NEC, of NUPENG, with gave the strike directive at their earlier meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when they issued a 21-day ultimatum to government to address pending issues with IOCs, will be holding an emergency NEC in Abuja tomorrow, ahead of commencement of the strike.
