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3 April, 2006
The Government in Mauritania successfully mediated a three-party dispute that ends a six-month union rights battle at an oil-services contractor, in which the ICEM played a direct role. The dispute began in October 2005 when El Majabaat El Koubra Tours (MKT), a transport and logistics provider for Australian-based Woodside Petroleum, sacked 16 union activists of the Energy and Petroleum Workers’ Union (CGTM) of Mauritania.
Woodside should now offer permanent employment to qualified MKT contract workers, and to recognise CGTM as union representative. MKT has agreed to pay severance of four months salary to union delegates, three months to long-term employees and two months to others. The ICEM had lobbied both Woodside and the Mauritanian government over the unjust treatment of contract workers.
In a speech that covered the matter, Mauritania head of state Col. Ely Ould Mohammed Vall said, “I appreciate the position of Woodside who has finally chosen to conform to the legitimate expectations of our people.” Woodside has both onshore and offshore oil exploration and development contracts in the West African country.