The Management of Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL) on Wednesday condemned the attitude of some employees of companies contracted by the oil giant for blocking access to its offices in Lekki, Warri and Port Harcourt.
This was contained in a statement by Mr Deji Haastrup, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA) of Chevron in Lagos.
Haastrup, in the statement, stated that CNL on behalf of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture, has confirmed that there were protests in the early hours on Wednesday by some employees of companies contracted by Chevron.
“The action of these workers negates Nigerian labour laws and is contrary to the advice of the Federal Ministry of Labour and the order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) for them to suspend the strike.
“In accordance with the statutory dispute resolution process, the matter was referred by the Federal Ministry of Labour to the NIC since reconciliation at the Federal Ministry of Labour did not resolve the issue.
“The NIC, by an order dated Sept. 8, 2015, granted an interim injunction restraining NUPENG from striking, picketing, demonstrating, or in any way, disrupting the industrial harmony in the offices and facilities of CNL, pending the determination of the matter.
“CNL continues to honour the invitations of constituted authorities aimed at resolving the issues, while encouraging NUPENG and the third party employees to embrace dialogue with their employers and obey the law.
“We also encourage all groups with any perceived grievance to follow due process and the rule of law.
“CNL reiterates its commitment to international best practices in labour relations, and wishes to state that the safety and security of its workforce, employees and contractors alike, remains its highest priority.”
Following alleged anti-worker activities, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) prevented the smooth running of business by shutting down Chevron’s Head Office in Lagos.
NUPENG’s South-West Zonal Chairman, Mr Tokunbo Korodo, said that the picketing of Chevron Office in Lagos on Wednesday was not the first time.
He, however, said it might be the last time that he would mobilise his fellow ‘comrades’ to picket the oil company over what he described as anti-labour activities.
According to him, they want to correct an impression because Lagosians and Nigerians at large believe that NUPENG will just wake up and embark on an industrial action without taking the proper steps.
“Now, this is part of the corrective measures we are putting in place in ensuring that we keep the public abreast of what is going on here.
“We also want to send signals to the Federal Government on why the Chevron management has refused to attend to our demands.
“We have adopted a lot of peaceful means to ensure that justice prevails.
“We are also confident that government will call them to order, because President Muhammadu Buhari has zero tolerance for corruption.
“We urge the government to beam its searchlight on the activities of Chevron in Nigeria, because a lot of financial misappropriation is going on, including embezzlement of workers’ entitlements,’’ he said.
When asked to give specific anti-labour activities of Chevron, he explained that Chevron sought the permission of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to disengage and outsource some workers to service companies as contract staff.
Korodo added that while NAPIMS approved with conditions that their entitlements must be paid immediately, the workers had not been paid since 2012, contrary to the approval.
“We have the record with us and we are ready to present it at a meeting between us, Chevron and the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Ibe Kachikwu.
“They, however, got to know that we had such information and declined to attend the meeting.
“We appeal to Nigerians to understand our plight and bear with us when we suspend our services from the depots and ask our trucks and tankers to stop lifting fuel.
“We are just trying to protect our job,” he said.
Mr Segun Odukoya, Secretary, Chevron Contract Workers Unions, NUPENG Lagos branch, said, “in 2012, Chevron terminated the services of six companies we were working with and transferred us to a new set of 16 service companies.
“We protested then for our entitlements to be paid because we had spent over five years with those firms.
“Under relevant labour laws and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), we are entitled to be paid our benefits. Let them pay us our entitlements.”
Odukoya said that the National Secretariat of NUPENG was already on the issue and that he believed that discussions with rthe elevant authorities were ongoing, or else, the matter might lead to a nationwide industrial action.
Earlier, NUPENG members shut down operations at Chevron as they protested what they termed the company’s unfair labour practices.
The protesters’, who stormed the headquarters of CNL in the morning, blocked all the entrances, leading into the company, carrying different placards.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read; “Give us our right, “We say no to corruption, “We say no to victimisation, no to fake court injunction,” among others.
Korodo, who led the protesting workers, said that the action was meant to keep the public abreast of the situation in CNL.
“The masses believe that NUPENG can just wake up and command their members to start strike.
“We just want to correct that impression. This protest will also send signal to the government and the management of CNL,” he said.
Korodo said that the union had been on the issue since June 25 and had done a lot to see that justice was done.
He said the management of CNL had turned deaf ears to the issues raised by the union.
“We have been on this issue for a while, we urge the government to investigate the management of the company.
“We are now taking the last step, this is not the first time we will be staging a protest on this matter.
“As we are protesting here, this kind of protest is going on in other parts of the country.
“This is our last step to this unfair labour practices, if nothing is done, the next step is to proceed on nationwide strike.
“We want Nigerians to feel the pain we are going through,” he said.
Mr Leonard Ugwu, the Chairman, Chevron NUPENG chapter, said that in 2012, CNL decided to do away with six companies they were dealing with and disintegrated them into 16 companies.
Ugwu said that during this process, the company promised to pay some entitlements to workers to be affected by the changes.
“Up till now, we have done everything possible for them to give us our entitlements, but they remained adamant.
“We are now going spiritual to get our entitlements from them,” he said.
Effort to get the management of CNL to comment on the issue proved abortive as most management staff approached by journalists declined to talk.
