Unions Kick Against Oil Firms’ Anti-Labour Practices

The leadership of the Joint
Unions operating in the oil and gas sector of the Nigeria’s economy, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have kicked against anti-labour practices by some multinational oil companies in Nigeria.
In a petition addressed to the  Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Nwogu, obtained by  The Tide and signed by Comrade Godwin Eruba NUPENG Zonal Chairman, and Comrade Azubuike Azubuike, PENGASSAN Zonal Chairman, Port Harcourt, accused the multinational oil companies of deliberate anti-labour policies targeted at their members.
The unions accused the management of Agip Oil Company Limited  in particular of trying to frustrate their members and undermine Nigeria’s Local Content Act.
The unions stated in their petition that “we are compelled to bring before your exalted office a serious situation that is affecting our members working for Arco Petrochemical Limited, a company providing maintenance service contract in the OBOB/Kwale/Ebochasald Location of Nigeria  Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) operation under a third party arrangement”.
The unions further said “all verifiable information confirm  to the unions from our investigations that the  National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) as a regulatory government agency saddled with the responsibility of bidding process and awarding contract in the oil and gas among others. has awarded a Stop-Gap contract to Arco Petrochemical  Limited where our members are working for years in NAOC facilities on the same project while the main bidding process is yet to be concluded”.
The unions said NAOC had rather rebuffed the contract award made by NAPIMS insisting on Plantgeria Company as replacement for Arco Petrochemical for the contract award.
The Unions alleged that

Philip Okparaji