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NUPENG Seeks Presidential Intervention over Industrial dispute with Shell

By on October 30, 2012

NUPENG members

The Presidency has been petitioned by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) over the sack of 17 of its officials including the caretaker committee chair by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

With the intention of avoiding industrial disturbances in the already restive petroleum industry, the Union called on the presidency and the entire management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to warn the management of SPDC.

 

SPDC had sacked 27 officials of NUPENG on the 22 of October in its divestment and outsourcing exercise.

In another development, NUPENG and the management of SPDC have been having problems now following the union’s suspension and subsequent expulsion of its former SPDC branch chair over assumed anti-union activities.

 

According to the president of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, the intervention by the presidency is really needed at this time to avoid unnecessary tension and unrest, which he said could be very damaging to the nation in this time of the year.

 

He argued that regardless of the fact that a committee was set up the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, to look into the persistent quarrel between labour and the management of SPDC, the company went ahead to sack the officials.

 

He said, “We are calling on the presidency and the NNPC to call the management of SPDC to order and recall our members in the interest of industrial peace. We are aware of the tension in the country that is why we do not want to take immediate action.”

 

“We hope that the appropriate authorities and agencies will address the issue as soon as possible.”

 

Earlier, NUPENG demanded that Comrade Enomate Kingsley, and 16 other Union members affected be recalled immediately in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.

 

According to a statement issued by NUPENG, the union dissolved the executive committee of Shell Branch of NUPENG for anti-union activities and set up a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the union in the interim. The statement was signed by its Deputy President and Acting General Secretary, Comrade John Eddy Ossai and Isaac Aberare.

 

According to the statement, “the management of SPDC refused to recognize the care-taker committee and has since been planning to victimize the union officials. Since then, SPDC planned to outsource the fire department where majority of the workers are based notwithstanding the union’s vehement opposition to the plan.”

 

“To actualize their plan, the SPDC management transferred the former Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Okandeji expelled by the union for anti-union activities and his loyalists out of the department leaving members of the caretaker committee vulnerable while hiding under the guise of divestment and management business decision to severe the union officials.”

 

“The NUPENG leadership was taken aback when on October, 22, 2012, the SPDC management carried their threat and distributed severance letters to the Union Officials including the Chairman of the caretaker Committee, Comrade Enomate Kingsley.”

 

“NUPENG takes serious exception to it, as a case of victimization for Union activity and it is unacceptable and will be resisted by the union. It should also be stressed that contract workers in SPDC will also be affected in severance and yet the management has refused to enter negotiation on collective bargaining agreement with the union and that means contract workers who served ten years and above will go with nothing.”

One Comment

  1. Ayega

    October 30, 2012 at 11:55 am

    NUPENG is a bunch of touts! Are they to dictate business decisions to companies? If the company’s interest will be better served with outsourcing, so be it! After all, the company that got the contract will still employ Nigerians!