Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Sunday threatened to shut down production at oilfields across the Niger Delta region over the sacking of its members in an oil firm, Fedoz Nigeria Limited.
The oil workers union said the firm violated the extant labour laws by terminating the appointments of four of its members who joined PENGASSAN, for exercising their inalienable rights as guaranteed in Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Assistant General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Port Harcourt Zone, Mr Tamuno Dappu, urged all its branch Chairmen and chapter Chairmen of the Association to be on red alert, as the union could not accept the breach of Nigerian Labour Laws.
Dappu also notified the management of Oil and Gas Companies within Port Harcourt Zone, industry regulators and the security agencies of its resolve to shut down oil operations in the industry over the issue.
The Port Harcourt Zone covers states in the South-South and South East.
“We are compelled to inform you that the Management of Fedoz Nigeria Limited has grossly violated the extant labour laws by terminating the appointments of four of our members who joined our Association for exercising their inalienable rights as guaranteed in Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Management of the erring firm has also rebuffed all genuine efforts for an amicable resolution of the issue including the intervention of the Honourable Minister of Labour through the Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Port Harcourt).
“In view of the above, we are left with no other option than to direct you to be on red alert for an imminent shutdown of oil facilities in our Zone to press home for the reinstatement of four members whose appointments were brazenly terminated by Fedoz Nigeria Limited contrary to ILO Conventions 87 and 98, extant Labour Lawsand the supreme law of the land- the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are also alerting the management of Oil and Gas Companies in Port Harcourt Zone and the security agencies of our resolve to shut down oil operations in the Oil and Gas industry because of anti-labour practices and gross violations of our extant Labour Laws by Fedoz Nigeria Limited,” PENGASSAN stated.