UFOMBA UZUEGBU
Rankled by alleged widespread unfair labour practices and expatriate abuse, organized labour, under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff
of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) yesterday ,picketed the company’s corporate head office of Sterling Oil Exploration in Victoria Island, Lagos.
PENGASSAN members gathered at the premises of the company as early as 6.00 am and barricaded its entrance , to press home their grievances.
They chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with various inscriptions,denouncing the highhandedness of the company’s management.
Some of the placards read: “Reinstate Sacked Nigeria Workers”, ” Stop CBA Violation “, ” Stop growing influx of Indian Workers”, among others.
Addressing journalists and members during the protest, the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo berated the management of Sterling Oil for alleged abuse of the expatriate qouta system, leading to discrimination against skilled Nigerian workers in the oil and gas sector.
Osifo decried the growing influx of Indian workers, who he accused of monopolizing jobs that Nigerians are qualified to perform.
He also alleged that members of the Union working in Sterling Oil, were being discriminated against and described their welfare as abysmal.
Osifo said : ” Our members in Sterling Oil have been pushed to the background, they should tell us how many Nigerians are working in Sterling Oil today that are managers. However, when you go to other International Oil and Gas Companies, you have Nigerians even as managing directors, deputy managing directors and general mangers and so on”.
The PENGASSSN boss further alleged that the company had over 10,000 expatriates, who are all Indian nationals, working in Nigeria.
According to him, all the operators in the company,without exception, are all expatriates.
“In Sterling Global, we have expatriates making tea,we have expatriates that are cooks, cooking for Nigerians to eat in Nigeria”, he said.
Osifo said picketing, was the first in the series of industrial actions, which would be taking place, stressing that this would continue till there is amicable resolution of the contentious issues.
” If it is not corrected, this has a propensity of leading to a national strike, when we will call out our members across the nook and cranny of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
“Also, remember, the operations of the entire oil and gas industry in Nigeria is manned by our members and we will call them out, the entire operations will be grounded. So, government must act, and the time to act is now”, Osifo said.
Other allegations include sacking of some of the union members and therefore, called for their reinstatement.
Responding, the company in a communiqué, signed by management, directed the workers to start working from home, pending the resolution of the issues, which would be addressed very soon.
