Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has denied a report that it held a meeting with Chevron management over the seven-day strike ultimatum it issued over the sacking of some of its members by the oil company.
The union stated in a statement issued on Sunday, and signed by its president, Williams Akporeha, and general secretary, Olawale Afolabi, that there was no such meeting, insisting that the strike ultimatum remained intact.
The union directed its members nationwide to ignore the report and “continue to mobilise for the impending strike at the expiration of the ultimatum and should all be at red alert.
The union had earlier accused Chevron of sacking 175 contract workers in YKISH lntegrated Services, Delog Nigeria Ltd, EUROFLOW Services, and issued a seven-day ultimatum to the company to recall the workers or face an action.
Akporeha and Afolabi, said the union was disturbed and pained about the “flagrant disrespect for labour laws.”
“The employment of these workers were terminated via WhatApp messages into workers respective mobile telephone. lt was such an appalling, callous and very heart rendering approach to industrial relations practice at this age and time.
“We wish to emphasise that this lack of respect and sensitivity to Nigerian extant labour law, international conventions and global best practices is gradually becoming the stock in trade for Chevron Nigeria Limited and its contractors.
“There are several other lingering issues against hapless workers yet to be addressed by Chevron and its contractors even after several regulatory institutions like Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Department of Petroleum Resources and NAPIMS severally ruled on the matters,” it said.
NUPENG listed the pending issues as “illegal deduction of workers’ benefits in since 2012 and flagrant refusal to refund the terminated workers”;
