The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) says there is no going back on the 21- day ultimatum given to NNPC Retail Limited, Exxon-Mobil and Petrobras and some other oil and gas fi rms over alleged anti-labour acts. Th e union said it would alter its stance only if they aff ected organisations deem it fi t to adopt working measures that give dignity and humane treatment to their staff . Recall that the union had on Sunday stated that the firms had crossed morally acceptable labour practices to its workers especially as regards casualisation of workers, unpleasant and adverse working conditions.
The union said firms like Fugro, Sterling Global, Indorama Petrochemical Company, Baker Hughes and General Electric are notorious for subjecting their workers to unbearable working condition. Other listed in a statement released yesterday included Universal Energy, Frontier Energy, Vam Onne, Neconde Energy and Obi Jackson Group, SDF, Ciscon, Tecon, Obax, Pan Ocean. PENGASSAN reiterated its position yesterday noting that unless the fi rms responded favourably it would be forced to carry out its treat. Its Public Relation Officer, Fortune Obi, had earlier said it would shut down activities of the companies nationwide if they failed to resolve the industrial issues with their workers. “ T h e u n i o n g a v e t h e ultimatum due to persistent unfair industrial relation’s practices by the management of the companies in the sector”, the statement said.
Th e statement indicated that in the last three years, it has not only been stretched, but equally over-burdened by the immorality in the manner these companies have related with their workers. “We are fast running out of patience over the loss of will by various managements to attend to industrial and welfare issues. “Particularly, frustrating is the sustained indiscriminate r e d u n d a n c i e s , s a c k , casualisation, ill-treatment, adverse work condition and incessant disagreement to collective bargain resolutions,” the statement pointed out.
