The Nigeria Union of Petroleum
and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, on Wednesday, issued a seven-day strike notice
to the Federal Government.
NUPENG wants the President
Muhammadu Buhari government to compel Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, to honour
the agreement it reached with the union on June 20.
It said that failing to comply,
the union would direct its members to commence strike action.
NUPENG made the demand in a
statement signed by its President and General Secretary, Prince Williams
Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale respectively.
The union said, “NUPENG, with
deep frustration and worries, would like to alert the general public and all relevant
authorities of the blatant violation of agreement reached between Chevron
Nigeria Limited Company and unions in the industry.
“It is public knowledge that
unions in the oil and gas industry had a protracted negotiation with Chevron
Nigeria Limited over 70 per cent labour manpower reduction which it (Chevron)
claimed was required in view of reduction in their operations in the oil and
gas Industry.
“After up to one year
negotiation, brokered by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; National
Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, and Ministry of Labour, it
was agreed that considering the intervention of all the institutions mentioned
above and the various justifications made, only 30 per centof the Labour
Manpower Contract Workers will be relieved.
“Of the 1,856 contract workers in
the company, NUPENG has 1,120; PENGASSAN, 213; and non-unionised, 523. It was
agreed that the 30% reduction shall be spread in equal percentage among the
three groups.
“It was also agreed that union
executives (NUPENG and PENGASSAN) will not be affected by the reduction, that
Chevron Nigeria Limited will not in any guise change the Labour manpower to
service contracts.
‘’It was also agreed that anyone
that voluntarily offers to go will be counted as part of the agreed 30%.
Unfortunately, immediately after the agreement was reached, Chevron started
executing the exercise in blatant violation of the agreed terms, ostensibly to
either put NUPENG in bad light as troublesome or for extinction because only
NUPENG members have been exited from work, leaving behind the Non- Unionised
workers and PENGASSAN members.
‘’It is further embarrassing to
see that NUPENG executives are also part of those already locked out. From our
record, over 500 of NUPENG members are being sacked. We further learned that
the intention of Chevron is to change the contract to short term service
contract and we see this as unfair and a breach of agreement reached with us in
bad faith.
“All NUPENG executives should be
called back to work, the percentage of reduction agreed should be spread to the
three groups as agreed to avoid creating the impression that NUPENG was the
target of the exercise.
“The good disposition of the new
leadership of NUPENG should not be taken for granted. Chevron should not be
allowed to use this exercise to change the Labour Manpower contract to service
contract in a disguised manner. “Consequent on the above demands and having
been pushed to the wall, NUPENG, hereby, puts all our members on red alert
should Chevron Nigeria Limited and its contractors fail to honour or comply
with our demands within the next seven days, we would also not hesitate to take
all necessary legal options available to us, including industrial actions, to press
home our legitimate demands.”
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