By Tina Amanda
Oil and gas workers in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria PENGASSAN branch in Mobil, Chevron, NUPENG, Total Energies, and Shell companies, have threatened to withdraw their services over the purported sale of AGIP company to Oando PLC.
This was stated in a solidarity letter to the PENGASSAN AGIP branch Chairman signed by Shell branch Chairman – Comrade Ikechukwu Onyefuru, Chevron branch secretary – Comrade Pepple Soparaipirim, Total Energies branch secretary – Comrade Abubakar Ibrahim, NUPENG General secretary – Comrade
Afolabi Otawale and Mobil branch Chairman – Comrade Aniete Udoh, state they will express full solidarity with their affected members of NAOC JV.
According to the letter, they are ready and willing to take any step including withdrawal of services to drive home their demand and ensure the right thing is done.
The letter read: “We write to express our absolute solidarity with all your members after reading with shock and consternation; the purported treacherous route chosen by your Management in dealing with our NAOC Comrades in the disposal of its equity in its JV assets to
OANDO Oil Ltd without recourse to outstanding financial obligations to workers.
“We share in the pains and emotional trauma which you are currently facing and humbly state that you should continue to stand very firm and resolute as you go through this phase of the struggle against this injustice meted to staff and contracted staff members of PENGASSAN.
“In line with the principles of fairness, equity, and social partnership, we believe that all the in-house unions in NAOC should be engaged by Management before, during, and after the divestment to address the necessary employee welfare and benefits as will be reasonably demanded by the Unions.
“Furthermore, and to forestall any negative precedence in the industry, we plead that you continue to insist that
issues of comprehensive and proper compensation, Pension, and Redundancy be exhaustively addressed in a
transparent manner to the satisfaction of the in-house unions and in full compliance with the provisions of the
Pension Reform Act of 2014.
“The CBA must be treated with the sanctity it deserves at this moment.
“We hereby express full solidarity with our comrades and other affected Nigerian Staff of NAOC and wish to
declare that we are willing to take any step including but not limited to service withdrawal to show our resolve on
this subject.”
