An industrial action may be looming in the oil industry as the Port Harcourt zone of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has issued a 7-day ultimatum to one of the oil companies operating in the zone for alleged unlawful disengagement of some of its members.
Chairman of the Port Harcourt zone of NUPENG, Alex Agwanwor at a media briefing in Port Harcourt said the ultimatum was an outcome of an extensive deliberation by the union over the matter.
Agwanwor said three hundred of their members were unlawfully disengaged by the company, stressing that the move was against labour laws.
He called on the government to prevail on the company to rescind the decision, failure which their members in the zone will withdraw their services indefinitely.
“After an exhaustive meeting and deliberations by the Zonal Council of this union covering the 10 states in the South have resolved that a 7-day ultimatum has been issued for the unlawful disengagement and anti labour practices of some oil serving companies operating within the Port Harcourt Zone.
“The leadership of the Union wish to register our displeasure over the unwarranted disengagement of our members on board of a rig belonging to one of the oil servicing companies and the hostage taking of the workers by the management of the company.
“The management’s action is anti labour, uncivilized and condemnable and without giving recourse to their agreement they went ahead to terminate the contract of over three hundred of our members.
“We hereby give 7 days ultimatum to OES Deep See Offshore and other anti union companies who are fond of violating Labour Laws.
“If nothing is done by these companies to reverse their anti labour practices we will embark on an indefinite strike and we will be left with no choice than to withdraw our service.
“We will make sure this affects everywhere our members are involved including refineries and oil depots,” Alex said.
On his part, the National Vice President of NUPENG, Bassey Harry expressed the support of the National leadership of union to the decision of the zone.
