CHEVRON MUST HALT PLANS TO CIRCUMVENT LABOUR CONTRACT GUIDELINES

The National Leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Association (PENGASSAN) are becoming extremely worried and concerned with the ways and manners the Chevron Management is executing the end of M15 and H15 Contracts, which is ostensibly laced with hidden plans and intentions to unilaterally and heinously sack thousands of contract workers inspite of the ongoing intervention of Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as well as the established Labour Contract Staffing Guidelines in the oil and gas industry.

While Chevron had decided to close M-15 and H-15 contracts by 31st October, 2018, it is really disturbing to see the new Contractors being engaged by Chevron Management and whose Labour Contract will take effect on November 1, 2018, to start advertising all jobs, inspite of clear provision for “roll over” of the existing workers on the jobs, consequent upon which large numbers of the current workforce are most likely to be abruptly thrown into the Labour market in their own country.
The leaderships of the two Unions in the oil and gas industry see such arrangement as cruel, callous and by all standards an affront on the Nigerian constituted authority and industry extant rules.

Without sounding immodest, it has now become quite glaring that Chevron Management is flippantly overstretching the good intentions of the Unions (NUPENG & PENGASSAN- NUPENGASSAN) to entrench peaceful and harmonious industrial relations particularly at a critical time like this when the country is approaching an election year.
Without mincing words, we are deeply bothered by the purported claims being peddled around by Chevron Management that their action of sacking Nigerian workers is a directive from National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPPIMS) and the Nigeria Contents Monitoring and Development Board (NCMDB). We then begin to wonder if the role of these reputable government agencies is to create jobs for Nigerians or to compound unemployment situation as already prevalent in the country.

As proactive Unions, that have interest of the nation at heart, we found it appropriate to use this avenue to appeal to the National Assembly, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant authority to prevail on Chevron Nigeria Limited to toe the line of best endeavour, by exercising restraints and engage in peaceful transition into new contract circle by strictly following established guidelines which provide for ‘roll over’’ of workers.

At this juncture, we are further constrained to notify the general public that NUPENG and PENGASSAN will not hesitate to embark on nationwide industrial action on this matter and we have already placed our members on red alert should the Management of Chevron remains recalcitrant or adamant to rescind its anti-labour decision which is grossly injurious to Nigerian workers who are oil and gas workers and by extension the nation’s economy.
God bless Nigeria.

Jointly signed by:
COMRADE LUMUMBA OKUGBAWA,
PENGASSAN GENERAL SECRETARY (and)

COMRADE ADAMU SONG,
NUPENG GENERAL SECRETARY.