Oil workers, under the auspices of the National Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have vowed to paralyse activies at
Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) for the victimisation and severance
of its union officials.
In a statement signed by Deputy National President, Comrade John Eddy Ossai and General Secretary, Comrade Isaac Aberare, the union reiterated that the NUPENG SPDC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Comrade Enomate Kingsley, and 16 other union members affected by the severance should immediately be reinstated in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.
NUPENG stated that it dissolved the executive committee of Shell Branch of NUPENG for anti-union activities and set up a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the union in the interim.
The union added that the management of SPDC refused to recognise the caretaker committee and have since been planning to victimise the union officials.
The union stressed that SPDC planned to outsource the fire department where majority of the workers are based, notwithstanding the union’s vehement opposition to the plan.
To actualise its plan, NUPENG stated that the SPDC management transferred the former Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Okandeji, expelled by the union for anti-union activities and his loyalists out of the department, leaving members of the caretaker committee vulnerable while hiding under the guise of divestment and management business decision to severe the union officials.
The NUPENG leadership was taken aback when on October, 22, 2012, the SPDC management carried out its threat and distributed severance letters to the union officials, including Kingsley.
The oil workers took serious exception to it," as a case of victimisation for union activity and it is unacceptable and will be resisted by the union."
The workers further stressed that contract workers in SPDC will also be affected in severance and yet the management has refused to enter negotiation on collective bargaining agreement with the union and that means contract workers who served 10 years and above will go with nothing.
The union is, therefore, calling on the SPDC management to rescind this action, as there is an ongoing dialogue directed by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Minister of Labour to look at the unwholesome labour practices in SPDC with a view to addressing them.
The union warned that if the SPDC management does not reinstate the union officials, “the industrial action that will follow by the union will be serious, as an injury to one is an injury to all”.
In a statement signed by Deputy National President, Comrade John Eddy Ossai and General Secretary, Comrade Isaac Aberare, the union reiterated that the NUPENG SPDC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Comrade Enomate Kingsley, and 16 other union members affected by the severance should immediately be reinstated in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.
NUPENG stated that it dissolved the executive committee of Shell Branch of NUPENG for anti-union activities and set up a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the union in the interim.
The union added that the management of SPDC refused to recognise the caretaker committee and have since been planning to victimise the union officials.
The union stressed that SPDC planned to outsource the fire department where majority of the workers are based, notwithstanding the union’s vehement opposition to the plan.
To actualise its plan, NUPENG stated that the SPDC management transferred the former Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Okandeji, expelled by the union for anti-union activities and his loyalists out of the department, leaving members of the caretaker committee vulnerable while hiding under the guise of divestment and management business decision to severe the union officials.
The NUPENG leadership was taken aback when on October, 22, 2012, the SPDC management carried out its threat and distributed severance letters to the union officials, including Kingsley.
The oil workers took serious exception to it," as a case of victimisation for union activity and it is unacceptable and will be resisted by the union."
The workers further stressed that contract workers in SPDC will also be affected in severance and yet the management has refused to enter negotiation on collective bargaining agreement with the union and that means contract workers who served 10 years and above will go with nothing.
The union is, therefore, calling on the SPDC management to rescind this action, as there is an ongoing dialogue directed by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Minister of Labour to look at the unwholesome labour practices in SPDC with a view to addressing them.
The union warned that if the SPDC management does not reinstate the union officials, “the industrial action that will follow by the union will be serious, as an injury to one is an injury to all”.
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