National News Special Report
FUEL SCARCITY LOOMS AS NUPENG ISSUES 7-DAY ULTIMATUM
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Afnews Editor
Aug 01, 2019
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers,
NUPENG, on Wednesday, issued a seven-day strike notice to the Federal
Government.
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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.
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It said that failing to comply, the union would direct its
members to commence strike action.
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NUPENG made the demand in a statement signed by its
President and General Secretary, Prince Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale
respectively.
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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.
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"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.
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"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.
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"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.
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"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.
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''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.
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''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.
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"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.
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"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.ÔÇØ (DP)
