NNPC intervenes in NUPENG CHEVRON labour matter to avert strike, fuel scarcity

Abiodun OBA     |       

Following the seven-day ultimatum by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to Chevron Nigeria Limited on Wednesday, representatives of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company and leadership of the NUPENG met in Abuja to avert industrial action.

NUPENG had asked the FG to compel Chevron Nigeria Limited to honour the agreement it reached with the union on June 20, 2019, saying its members would embark on strike if the agreement was not respected in seven days.

President of the Union, Williams Akporeha, confirmed NNPC intervention in Abuja on Thursday and that a meeting had been scheduled.

He said, “Because of the ultimatum we issued NNPC has stepped in as a mediator in the issues we raised. A meeting was scheduled .Further directives will be issued after the meeting.”

Recall that a seven-day ultimatum was issued to Chevron Nigeria Limited to honour an agreement on workers welfare or face industrial action.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers which gave the ultimatum after its meeting in Lagos expressed its displeasure with Chevron for reneging on the agreement reached with the union, urging workers to be on alert for strike action.

In a statement jointly signed by NUPENG President, Mr Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Mr Afolabi Olawale said  Chevron reneged in the agreement one year after the negotiation brokered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS and the Ministry of Labour.

Akporeha said that the union and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN had a protracted negotiation with Chevron on more than 70 per cent labour manpower reduction.

He said that Chevron claimed that it required the 70 per cent job reduction in view of its operations in the Nigeria oil and gas industry.

According to him, unions opposed the move in view of its commitment to the protection of jobs of members and considering the high level of unemployment in the country.

“We agreed that considering the intervention of all the institutions and the various justifications made, only 30 per cent of labour manpower contract workers would be relieved

“All parties agreed that from the 1,856 members of staff (of which NUPENG had 1,120 (contract staff), PENGASSAN with 213 (contract staff) and non-unionised 523 respectively), the 30 per cent reduction agreed shall be spread in equal percentages among the three groups,’’ it said.

According to the statement, it was agreed that NUPENG and PENGASSAN executives would not be affected by the reduction and that Chevron would not change the labour manpower to service contract.

It also said part of the agreement was that anyone, who voluntarily offered to go, would be counted as part of the agreed 30 per cent.

“Sadly, immediately after the agreement was reached, Chevron started executing the exercise in blatant violation of the agreed terms ostensibly.

“To either put NUPENG in bad light as troublesome or for extinction because only NUPENG members have been exited from work leaving behind the Non- Unionised workers and PENGASSAN members,’’ it said.

The statement said that record showed that more than 500 of NUPENG members were being exited including its executives.

The union said that it would be unfair for Chevron to change the contract to short term service as it breached the agreement.

It urged Chevron management to recall union executives and ensure the percentage of reduction agreed was spread among the three groups.

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