Senior workers in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria’s economy have accused oil companies of reneging on agreement reached between them, and called for the intervention of the Federal Government in order to forestall a fresh industrial action in the industry. The workers under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) recently suspended an industrial action embarked upon to condemn sack of workers and alleged anti-labour practices by the oil firms operating in Nigeria. The strike was suspended following the intervention of the Federal Government during which it was resolved that the oil firms would recall the sacked workers in order to promote industrial peace.
PENGASSAN in a letter addressed to Chris Ngige, minister of labour and productivity, dated August 22, 2016, and signed by Lumumba Okugbawa, the acting general secretary of the association, stated that since the agreement was signed over a month ago, there had been no progress or commitment towards implementing the tenets of the agreement. The union urged the minister to intervene by calling on the defaulting managements who have refused to implement the agreement to order so as to avert another round of nationwide strike.
Copies of the letter were sent to the director general of the State Security Services (SSS), the group managing director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the general manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS). According to PENGASSAN, the agreement was reached at the end of the conciliation meetings held at the instance of the Federal Minister of Labour and Employment with PENGASSAN, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and other stakeholders on July 12, 14 and 21, 2016 in Abuja.
The letter read in part, “It is over a month now since the last communiqué was reached and we can say in summation that no much progress has been achieved. This of course is making our members restive and we are under tremendous pressure to bring about a total resolution on all the contending issues”.
“We are constrained therefore to note with great dismay that most of the companies are foot-dragging and have resorted to time-wasting tactics in order to deliberately frustrate the process.”
“We are therefore based on the above, requesting that you use your good office to intervene by calling on the managements of these companies to quickly implement these resolutions as it affects them. Else we will be left with no alternative than to succumb to the pressure from our members and do what needs to be done in furtherance of our mandate.”
The union listed the companies that have refused to honour their own parts of the agreement reached during the various engagements among the tripartite. Speaking further, Emmanuel Ojugbana, national publicity secretary of PENGASSA said that the agreement was signed as a prerequisite to calling off the last national strike by the union, adding that there is nothing preventing the management of the companies from respecting signed agreement as contained in the communiqué.
“This is not a product of pronouncement but an agreement reached by all stakeholders including the management of the companies involved. I don’t see any reason why it is difficult for them to respect this agreement as contained in the communiqué,” he said.
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