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…Insists on FG’s intervention
By Bimbola Oyesola
Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) yesterday vowed to keep Sterling Oil Exploration’s headquarters shut down, insisting they would not relent until the federal government steps in.
The union, on Monday, marched on the headquarters of the company on Victoria Island, Lagos, disrupting all corporate activities as it accused the firm of various anti-labour activities and expatriates abuse.
The President of PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo, while addressing the workers yesterday said the union would not go into any meeting with the management of the company unless the regulator of the industry was present.
“Since yesterday we have been bombarded with lots of calls and invitations to come for a meeting with the management at Eko Hotel. We are not going to any meeting with them without the regulators and other stakeholders,” he said.
Osifo said the union would not want to be accused of being bribed by the company, stating, “We are a union with integrity hence we want the meeting to be with all parties involved.”
He also said the union has already shut down the plant of the Sterling Oil, which implies that there would be no lifting until the issues are resolved.
The PENGASSAN boss said the picketing would continue until the management came to terms with the workers’ demands.
Just like the first day, Wednesday’s protest saw the leadership and workers of the oil company converge at its headquarters as early as 6 a.m., chanting labour solidarity songs and accusing Sterling Oil management of engaging in anti-labour practices.
Members of the union were seen holding placards with inscriptions, “Reinstate Sacked Nigerian workers; “Stop Collective. X Bargaining Agreement Victimisation” , stop CBA violation , among others and chanting the solidarity song.
Osifo insisted that the management of Sterling oil abused the expatriate quota system, which has led to discrimination against skilled Nigerian workers in the oil and gas sector.
Osifo had earlier condemned what he described as discriminatory practices by the company, accusing it of monopolizing jobs meant for qualified Nigerians and reserving them exclusively for Indian nationals. He further alleged that Sterling Oil employs over 10,000 expatriates in Nigeria, all of whom are of Indian origin.
According to him, “all the operators in the company, without exception, are all expatriates.”
He alleged that members of the union working in Sterling had been subjugated and described their welfare as abysmal.
Osifo said: “Our members in Sterling have been pushed to the background; they should tell us how many Nigerians are working in Sterling today that are managers.
“They should tell us how many Nigerians today are working in Sterling that are general managers.
“However, when you go to other international oil and gas companies, you have Nigerians even as managing directors, deputy managing directors, executive general managers, general managers and so on”.
“In Sterling Global, we have expatriates as gate men, vulcanizers; we have expatriates making tea; we have expatriates that are Nigerian cooks, cooking for Nigerians to eat in Nigeria,” he said.
The company on Tuesday through a communique signed by the management said all workers have been directed to work from home pending the time the issue will be resolved.
