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PENGASSAN vows to resist unlawful dismissal of oil sector employees

By Collins Olayinka (Abuja) and Toyin Olasinde (Lagos)
04 July 2017   |   3:39 am
Speaking after his re-election, Johnson said: “We demand that the government should stem the wave of redundancies in the oil and gas industry, especially by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other service companies.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has pledged to collaborate with government and other industry players to curb constant disengagement of workers in the oil and gas industry.

NUPENG threatens show down over salary backlogs in Tecon, Seawolf

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has pledged to collaborate with government and other industry players to curb constant disengagement of workers in the oil and gas industry.

This comes as the Association re-elected Olabode Johnson President for another term of three years. Speaking after his re-election, Johnson said: “We demand that the government should stem the wave of redundancies in the oil and gas industry, especially by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other service companies.

“We, therefore, demand that NAPIMS should put in place a clear policy statement to address this unfortunate trend. We have resolved to resist the growing redundancies in the industry under any guise.

“We demand that no process of redundancy shall be undertaken by any management without the involvement of the national secretariat of the association.” To maintain the prevailing industrial peace and guarantee smooth exit of workers, he urged industry operators to put in place robust Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

He also urged managements of the oil firms to respect duly signed CBAs and ensure that where there was no CBA in place, the association would ensure an atmosphere that would ensure that a CBA in place to reduce friction in the sector.

While the Association expressed support for the current efforts at attracting investors to revamp the country’s ailing refineries, it demanded to have access to Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the investors in the three refineries.

“We also seek that PENGASSAN and NUPENG should be carried along at all stages of the process to ensure that labour-related issues and job security is guaranteed,” he added.

Johnson reiterated that security of members’ jobs would form the fulcrum of his regime adding: “Under no guise will we allow our members to lose their jobs. We will fight any form of redundancies or restructuring that affects our members, especially those that do not follow due process.

Meanwhile, NUPENG has expressed concerns over the non-payment of backlog of salaries and entitlements owed its members in Tecon Oil Services and Seawolf Drilling Services in spite of several government interventions.

President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese said the Union would withdraw its services any moment from now in solidarity with the affected workers if their salaries and entitlements were not settled.

He added that earlier ultimatum issued on the issue had long expired without the payment of the entitlements even as government interventions have remained unproductive and inconclusive.

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