Business operations at the Victoria Island, Lagos office of Variant Energy Services, an oil servicing company, have been disrupted by members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
NUPENG accused the company of engaging in anti-labour practices, including “indecent work conditions, nonpayment of severance package for workers whose jobs had been terminated”, and vowed to resist “flagrant and unprocedural behaviour” that puts its members at risk.
The picketing of the company premises located at Ologun Agbaje Street, Victoria Island, began very early in the morning on Thursday, with members of the union blocking entrance and and exit points.
They were seen displaying placards with various inscriptions and chanting solidarity songs to drive home their demands for the company to pay allowances and severance packages allegedly owed workers whose employments have been terminated.
Some of the placards read, “Workers are not slaves”, “Pay us our terminal benefits”, “Pay us our money”, “There shall be no peace for debtors”.
Tayo Aboyeji, chairman, NUPENG Lagos Zone, said the union decided on the action because peaceful negotiation with the company failed to yield positive response.
Aboyeji alleged that the action of the management of the company was “provocative and an affront to the global best practices, decency and integrity in the oil and gas industry”.
He condemned what he termed “unlawful termination of the employment of NUPENG members on the 28th of October, 2019 in dubious manner and in violation of provisions of the extant labour law and failure of the management of Valiant Energy Services to pay the terminal benefits of the affected workers”.
Other leaders of the oil workers’ union who participated in the picketing of the company include Rotimi Benjamin, vice president, Lagos zonal council, Olusegun Ekun, vice chairman, Lagos zone, and Lanre Badmus, among others.
The management of the company could not be reached immediately for comment on the union’s allegations.
