On this World Day for Decent Work, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) raises a firm voice: a democracy that cannot guarantee decent work for the hands that build its wealth is a failed promise. The theme, “For Democracy That Delivers Decent Work,” is a direct challenge to the systemic injustices within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. True democracy must be felt not just at the ballot box but in the pay packet, the safe workplace, and the right to speak collectively without fear. When the immense wealth our members generate fuels the nation while they are denied the basics of dignity, it represents a profound democratic deficit that can no longer be ignored.
This deficit is starkly visible in the relentless anti-union onslaught faced by workers. We condemn the tactics of intimidation, the victimization of workers, and the proliferation of precarious contracts designed to silence collective voices and suppress wages. Multinational and indigenous companies alike are actively eroding workers’ rights, creating an atmosphere of fear where demanding safety standards or a living wage is met with threats and retrenchment. These actions are not just an attack on NUPENG; they are an attack on the very fabric of social justice and a blatant violation of the democratic principles Nigeria purports to uphold.
Therefore, our message is unequivocal: the struggle for decent work and the struggle for a vibrant democracy are one and the same. NUPENG will not be cowed. We demand immediate and concrete action from the government to enforce labour laws and protect the right to organize, and we call on all ethical stakeholders to stand with us against this corporate tyranny. We will continue to mobilize, organize, and fight until every worker in our sector enjoys the security, dignity, and respect that is the undeniable hallmark of both decent work and a truly functional democracy.
Our Solidarity Remains Constant for the Union makes us Strong!
FOR: NIGERIA UNION OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS WORKERS
COMRADE WILLIAMS AKPOREHA National Executive President
