Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, will begin a three-day nationwide warning strike on Wednesday, over disputes with International Oil Companies, IOCs.
NUPENG explained that the decision follows indiscriminate sack of workers without benefits and refusal to allow their workers to join union.
The union specifically accused some IOCs, including Exxon/Mobil and Chevron Nigeria Limited, of unfair labour practices, especially perceived unprocedural sack of workers without benefits, breach of Nigerian extant labour laws in their divestment exercises.
Chevron was alleged to have sacked over 300 NUPENG members without benefits late last year and efforts by the union for them to be recalled proved abortive.
Also, the directive by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, that all parties return to status quo was allegedly not respectwd to by Chevron after the union called off its action against the company in obedience to the ministry’s directive.
Similarly, Mobil in December 14, 2016, sacked over 100 workers without following laid down procedure, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
The union accused the management of Mobil of flagrant violation of Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD, Act of 2010, by deploying expatriates to take over jobs for which there is local capacity.
Meanwhile, members of the National Executive Council, NEC, will hold an emergency NEC in Abuja Tuesday, ahead of commencement of the strike.
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