The National leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Wednesday issued a seven-day ultimatum on Chevron Nigeria Limited and its Contractor, Cordeau Nigeria Limited to reinstate all its 32 workers sacked for insisting on being NUPENG members.

Comrade (Prince) Williams Eniredonana Akporeha, National President of NUPENG, said that action of the oil company and its contractor is obnoxious and viciously carried out.

According to him, “ The action taken by Chevron and its contractor at the twilight of 2019 was in bad fate and an affront to Labour/workers’ rights and also human rights relating to labour relations between workers and employers, codified in national and international labour and employment law.

“These rights influence working conditions of workers’ employment, and one of the most central is the right to freedom of association, otherwise known as the right to organize; and workers organised in trade union exercise such right to collectively bargain so as to improve their working conditions which is in tandem with International Labour Organisation’s convention and other known extant rules practiced anywhere in the world.”

Comrade Akporeha, said Chevron act is contrary to the existing provisions of the law, legitimacy and legality and the Union would do everything within its powers constitutionally to protect the rights and the interests of the affected members some of whom are already hospitalized as a result of the shock they got from their purported sack by their employer few hours before year 2020.

“We are still surprised that despite previous agreements and existing understanding on other separate matters between the union and Chevron Nigeria Limited, which was orchestrated by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and other stakeholders in the industry, Chevron could still embark on such unthinkable, inhuman, retrogressive and anti labour infractions without consultations and not also minding the attendant negative implications this will have on the country socio-economically,” he stressed.

He said NUPENG will used every atom of strength to vehemently oppose the unpatriotic and uncivilized move in view of the Union’s assertive commitment to the protection of jobs of its members and considering the high level of unemployment in the country which is directly responsible for the increasing cases of insecurity, deviant behaviours among our youths and other tensed and challenging situations in Nigeria. (Daily Independent)

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