8 August, 2013A three day warning strike in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector in July was called off on the second day after the government intervened to set up two interministerial committees to address issues raised by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (Nupeng).
Nupeng called the strike to address amongst other concerns, the anti-union and unfair labour practices of multinationals, in particular Shell Petroleum Development Company, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Agip Oil Company.
In a letter to the Permanent Representative of the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations, IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina, urged the Nigerian government to take forward plans to address casualization in the oil and gas sector agreed on in a tripartite meeting in 2011. He also called for intervention on the poor corporate behaviour of multinational companies in the sector, and that arbitration awards in favour of workers be confirmed.
An agreement was reached after a tripartite stakeholders meeting in the oil and gas sector detailed the way forward on the demands put forward by the union. The agreement also addresses unfair labour practices, casualization and confirmed the rights of workers to unionise.
“On behalf of the President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Comrade Igwe Achese, the entire members of the National Executive Council (NEC) and the Oil and Gas Workers in Nigeria, we appreciate your concern and solidarity support extended to our Union during the confrontation with multinational oil companies in Nigeria and the Federal Government over unfair labour practices in the Oil and Gas Industry, ” said NUPENG General Secretary Isaac Aberare.