NUPENG Slams Chevron Over Sacked Oil Workers, Resumes Suspended Strike

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has berated the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) over the non-fulfillment of its earlier reached agreement. NUPENG has therefore resumed its earlier suspended strike action. This may eventually lead to possible scarcity of petroleum products within the South-South States as the Warri Zonal Council of the NUPENG which covers the South-South states has directed its members to comply strictly with the strike action. NUPENG, had on Thursday, August 28 at about 2:pm, asked its members to resume its earlier called-off strike over the alleged sack of its members by management of CNL, saying Chevron had reneged on the agreement reached in July 10 in which the parties agreed to settle the dispute.

This is coming barely five weeks after NUPENG had earlier suspended its three-day warning strike to enable the union negotiate with management of Chevron Nigeria Limited to recall all its sacked members. In a statement signed by the union's Senior Assistant General Secretary, Warri Zonal Council, Mr Otite Onohwowho, which was obtained by THEWILL, NUPENG directed all its members within the zone to strictly comply with the strike. The statement said the renewed strike action is the result of the CNL's refusal to honour a communiqué reached on July 10 at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to resolve all outstanding industrial disputes.

“As a result of the refusal of Chevron Nigeria Limited Management to honour the communiqué of July,10th, 2014 issued at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Abuja to resolve the industrial dispute between the union and management, the strike action that was earlier suspended is hereby resumed”, the statement said. According to NUPENG, all branch executives within the Warri Zonal Council which covers South-South States are to ensure that the directive is strictly followed in solidarity with their members whom the statement described were being treated like slaves by Chevron. Why have Nigerian workers thought that Strike is the panecea to the problems facing us? Send your comments on this...