NUPENG speaks on strike action after Chevron recalls sacked staff

By Victor Young

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike slated to begin on Wednesday after Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) agreed to recall its members sacked on New Year day.

According to the agreement reached by the parties at a two-day meeting convened by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Kyari Mele, in Abuja, CNL was given three weeks to reinstate the workers, while NUPENG was asked to call off its actions against CNL.

The GMD intervened in the matter through the General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services ( NAPIMS), Mr. Musa Lawal.

It was agreed that due to logistics involved, it would take three weeks for the sacked staff to resume work, among other resolutions.

NUPENG had on January 1 gave a seven- day ultimatum to CNL to reinstate its members sacked over union membership failing which members would embark on a nationwide strike.

The union had alleged that CNL through its Contractor, Cordeau Nigeria Limited sacked all its 32 workers for insisting on being NUPENG members.

Subsequently, the aggrieved workers and union’s officials barricaded some Chevron facilities in Warri, Delta State.

NUPENG in a statement issued by its President and General Secretary, Prince Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, had said it was frustrated and “grossly disappointed over the directive by Chevron Nigeria Limited to its Contractor, CNL to sack all its 32 workers for insisting on being NUPENG members.

It said: “This obnoxious act of Chevron and its employment contractor viciously carried out at the twilight of 2019 was in bad fate and an affront to Labour/workers’ rights.

“For Chevron to act contrary to the existing provisions of the law, legitimacy, and legality is what we cannot understand. We would do everything within our powers constitutionally to protect the rights and the interests of our affected members some of whom are already hospitalized as a result of the shock they got from their purported sack by their employer a few hours before the year 2020.”