NUPENG, PENGASSAN warn against arbitrary sack of workers

The National leadership of both the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have warned multinational and indigenous oil and gas companies against arbitrary sack of their workers and introduction of precarious work system.

A statement jointly signed by the National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha and President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Ndukaku Ohaeri, indicated that the groups had series of reports of attempts by some companies to exploit the current COVID-19 situation and the slide in the global crude oil prices to rationalize, downsize, sack, introduce precarious work system or reduce salaries and allowances of workers in the industry.

While expressing sincere concerns over the negative impacts COVID-19 on the industry generally, the labour unions warned that arbitrary sack, termination or introduction of precarious working conditions should be avoided at all cost since such acts will not serve the interest of anyone in the short, medium and long terms.

“These moves, if not properly checked and managed by relevant authorities whose guidelines are being continually disobeyed by these organisations will further complicate the already impoverished state of Nigerian oil and gas workers, their immediate families and others depending on the workers incomes, for a living,” the statement reads in part.

NUPENGASSAN therefore called on the Federal Government and all its relevant agencies to urgently forestall these ugly trends in the industry to avoid many untoward and damaging consequences of the actions and reactions that may follow.

They also put the Federal Government and all its relevant agencies on notice that NUPENGASSAN might be forced to precipitate an action that will affect drastically the entire industry if the ugly trend is not halted and erring organisations called to order.