There are strong indications that Nigeria may not be able to meet its crude oil quota for the month of August as members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), onboard three Floating Production Storage and Offshore (FPSO), on Thursday, embarked on strike action over what they described as the poor condition of service.

They alleged that their employer, Yinson Nigeria, a Norwegian firm, has refused to allow them to organise and belong to any association, which they claimed is in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The affected FPSOs are FPSO Abigail Joseph at Anyala field, Bayelsa State as well as FPSOs Adoon and Mack Lorenceau located at Addax field in Calabar, Cross River State.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increased the nation’s crude oil output quota to 1.830 million barrels per day.

“We are demanding that our union, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) should be recognised. We are underpaid and enslaved.We are enslaved in our own country, we lack welfare, we are constantly harassed and intimidated for asking for our rights to associate and to access better welfare.

“We need to negotiate our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as we are currently working under strange and stringent conditions of service, which is why we think our employer does not want to recognise the union we belong to.

“We have been working for several years without a contract of employment, which negates the principles of our extant Labour laws. We are being marginalised in several ways. Our condition can simply be described as slavery. This is labour slavery. That is the only way we can describe our condition” some of the workers who do not wish to be named said.”

Speaking further on the matter, the Deputy President General of the MWUN, Comrade Francis Bunu affirmed the development and said the union is committed to fighting for the rights of seafarers to good working conditions of service, and also their rights to gainful association. (Daily Trust)