….National Production Cut By 660,000 Barrels A Day
Yemisi Izuora
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has fully withdrawn their services from operating oil fields of American oil major, Exxonmobil.
The withdrawal of the Union from major the company’s facilities followed inability of management of the company and PENGASSAN to reach a compromise over the sacking of 83 employees of the company.
In a letter signed by Comrade Anietie David Udoh, secretary, PENGASSAN, Mobil Producing Nigeria, Branch, obtained by our Oriental News Nigeria, and to general secretary and chairman producers forum of PENGASSAN, the Union directed its members to withdraw their services immediately.
The letter dated, May 18, 2017, read, “We refer you to earlier letter from National PENGASSAN dated May 2, 2017, directing the Branch with the full support of National Secretariat to take all necessary actions it can industrial relations wise, to fully address the concerns of our members regarding the 2016 management initiated separation program.
Following the breakdown of all engagements to resolve the contending issues, you are therefore directed to withdraw services totally from all locations effective immediately”.
The Union also vowed to stop at nothing to get its members their deserved welfare.
The Union had during the week called out members on a 3 day warning strike threatening to commence gradual withdrawal and to shut down the plants in Mobil locations all over the country.
PENGASSAN Lagos zonal chairman, Comrade Abel Agarin while addressing the members earlier, said they will start with gradual withdrawal of services from all oil and gas installations belonging to Mobil Producing Nigeria, MPN.
Mobil is one of the largest oil producing companies in Nigeria, with about 660,000 barrels a day, bpd.
Also, to further broaden its protest the Union had incited their colleagues in Chevron, Shell, Addax, Total and Agip to join in the agitation.
The striking Union had shunned the intervention of the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige who had referred the case to the Industrial Arbitration Panel, IAP.
The IAP, had on May 16th issued an order restraining both Exxonmobil and PENGASSAN from lock out and strike respectively.
While Exxxonmobil complied with the directive, the Union ignored the order by ordering total shut down of the company’s installations.
In order contained in a circular signed by Arbitrator D D Azura, dated 15th of May, 2017, and titled ‘ORDER PROHIBITING LOCK-OUTS AND STRIKES’ read as follows: The Hon Minister of Labour and Employment under the powers conferred on him by Section 9 of the Trade Dispute Act Cap T8 LFN 2004, (TDA) has referred a trade dispute Ref. ML. HB/7728/111/265 vide an instrument dated 12th day of May 2017 to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) for determination.
Paragraph 3 of the order also read, “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the parties by the powers granted the Tribunal under Section 18(1) and (3) of the TDA be and are hereby restrained from embarking on any lock-outs and strikes pending the determination of this dispute.