Mkpoikana Udoma 11 August 2014, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Port Harcourt Zone of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, state governments, oil majors and other stakeholders in the petroleum sector to wade into the alleged high handedness and insensitive conduct of some employers in the oil and gas industry which, according to them, have adversely affected the employment of her members
They say they would be withdrawing their services the issues were not addressed after 14 days.
This was the highpoint of a resolution reached at an emergency meeting of the petroleum workers union, Monday, in Port Harcourt.
The Port Harcourt Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Comrade Godwin Eruba who read the resolution after the meeting, particularly fingered the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, asking it to respect earlier directives from the National Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
He said: “NAOC should as a matter of urgency respect the April and June 2014 letters from NAPIMS directing her to discuss the ‘stop gap’ of turbine and related equipment maintenance in OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale with ARCO Petroleum (Nig) Plc. It was noted that the refusal of NAOC to obey this directive has posed a great threat to the jobs of our members in ARCO who have contributed to the economic growth of this country since the contractor mobilised to site on that contract in 2006.
“The alleged replacement contractor, Plantgeria (Nig) ltd has concluded plans to cut the workforce by 60%, cut the existing collectively negotiated salaries by 40% and force the workers to sign a yellow-dog contract denouncing membership of NUPENG or PENGASSAN”.