18 May 2017, Lagos — Nigerian workers from an oil labour union have extended a strike to oil majors Chevron, Shell, and Eni subsidiary Agip in protest over the sacking of members from Exxon Mobil Corp, the union’s general secretary said on Tuesday.
Nigerian labour unions have held a number of strikes in the last few months in protest at the sacking of workers by oil companies. Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) began a strike at Exxon Mobil last week.
PENGASSAN General Secretary Lumumba Okugbara said the union’s 10,000 members were taking part in the three-day nationwide strike which began on Monday and would continue until Wednesday.
“Production activities are still on and our members on essential duties are working. Only those in administrative duties are not working in the various multi-national oil companies since yesterday,” he said.
The strikes are in protest at the sacking of 150 workers in December, of which 82 were PENGASSAN members. Okugbara said union representatives would meet Exxon Mobil management on Tuesday for talks.
Strikes by Exxon workers in Nigeria at the end of last year did impact output, leading to weeks-long loading delays.
*Anamesere Igboeroteonwu; Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing: Mark Potter & Louise Heavens – Reuters
