The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has given the federal government a two-week deadline.
The Union warned it would go on strike if the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment did not settle welfare and membership-related concerns, including non-payment of workers’ salaries and title benefits.
The ultimatum, issued in a statement by NUPENG president Williams Akhoreha and general secretary Olawale Afolabi, recalled an outstanding short payment of terminal benefits to its members who were declared redundant by Chevron Nigeria Limited in 2012 and accused the company of terminating the employment of contract workers for joining the union.
This, the statement added, despite that the workers had been in continuous employment for 10 to 20 years.
NUPENG complained about PYRAMIDT workers, who, according to the union, have been transferred between different labour contractors for more than 20 years without service terms or union representation and recognition.
According to the union, contract workers working under oil mining licence (OML) 42 of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), an upstream subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), have also been denied salary and allowances for up to ten months.
It further stated that the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and its Contractors owe Contracts Workers’ pay and allowances for up to ten months.
“These workers are being denied salaries and allowances on the basis of very inhuman and wicked excuses that the contractors have yet to fulfil certain due process, yet this due process is not stopping NAOC from profiting from the skills and sweats of these Nigerians while the workers and their families suffer in hardship and poverty.”
These issues do not necessitate any further discussions or negotiations, but rather decisive steps and implementation of all stated issues within the period of our notice to all parties involved, according to the statement.
Editing by Tina Oyinsan