For some times now, unions in the Petroleum industry have been complaining and agitating against perceived impunity and cases of rights, abuses or denials and other forms of unfair Labour practices by employers in the sector without government rising up to the occasion to address the issue.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, leaders a few days ago at their National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos, sounded a note of warning that now that the elections are over, they are going to squarely confront employers who have a penchant for unfair Labour practices.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting by PENGASSAN President and General Secretary, Francis Johnson and Lumumba Okugbawa, respectively, the body called “on the Government to channel the human capital potential of the Nigerian citizens towards optimizing productivity and economic growth of nationhood that we all crave for. The NEC-In-Session vows to confront all industrial issues with utmost seriousness now that the elections are over and all recalcitrant companies who think they are above Nigerian laws should brace up for a rude awakening, as the Association will explore all possible means to ensure no organization undermines any provisions of the country’s laws.
“NEC-In-Session observes with dismay the attitudes of some organizations such as CISCON, SDF, Petrobras and Sterling oil who are engaged in modern-day enslavement of workers; hence it urges the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment to call these organizations to order to avoid an imminent industrial crisis in the sector.” Read more