PENGASSAN threatens industrial action over showdown with SEEPCO Limited
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has demanded the federal government to immediately impose stringent sanctions on Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) Limited for violating numerous labour laws, operating regulations and the Nigerian Content Act in the petroleum industry.
The association vowed that its protest which resulted in an ongoing picketing of SEEPCO Limited’s offices and facilities across the country would be escalated to national industrial action if all its demands are not met during a scheduled meeting with industry regulators.
Already, the picketing is forcing SEEPCO to shut in some 80,000 barrels per day of crude oil and over 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. A national industrial action could shut in nearly 1.0 million barrels of crude oil per day from onshore and shallow water production sites in the country.
The association which picketed the office premises and field operating facilities of the independent exploration and production company accused the management of flooding its operations with over 10,000 Indian expatriates, sacking over 18 Nigerian workers for subscribing to labour unions, and also for violating the limits of regulatory field operations permits.
President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo (m) and his executive committee members storm the premises of SEEPCO Limited in Victoria Island, Lagos
At the premises of SEEPCO Limited in Lagos, PENGASSAN demanded immediate deportation of all illegal workers imported to displace Nigerians in the operations of the company. It also demanded immediate reinstatement of workers who were allegedly sacked for subscribing to membership of the union.
They also demanded the management of the company to adopt the collective bargain agreement (CBA) which governs pan-industry conditions of service for workers in the petroleum industry.
President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, who led the protest in Lagos, declared that the union would not step down on its pressure on government to bring the management of the company to book until all its demands are met.
The Oracle Today reports that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010 stipulates that no company operating in the country would be allowed to bring in expatriates for jobs in roles where local capacity exists. The law which is regulated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is enforceable through either regulatory sanctions or by a court of law.
Comrade Osifo declared in Lagos that all known labour laws have been flouted by SEEPCO Limited, adding that the company also holds the Nigerian Content Act in contempt. He further accused SEEPCO Limited of illegal operating activities for violating and exceeding drilling permits which, when unreported, could lead to deliberate production accounting shortfalls.
The picketing protest at the Lagos premises of SEEPCO Limited set the Etim Inyang Street on disruptive fanfare as members of PENGASSAN were supported by sister Trade Union Congress (TUC) to stage a huge rally which started as early as 7 am on Tuesday. Live bands and disk jockeys provided music and rhythm to solidarity chants as the labour leaders danced and pledged commitment to the spar until every demand is met.
Left wing of the junction staged for the picketing rally
Comrade Osifo declared at the event that PENGASSAN would neither deescalate the protest nor back down on its demand, stressing that the union now remained the only standing defense for the rights of the Nigerian workers in the operations of SEEPCO Limited. He told the crowd that members of SEEPCO Limited management had openly boasted to have regulatory authorities in their pocket.
In calling all government agencies with relevant roles in the petroleum industry to stand up to their roles in protecting the economy from foreign economic interests like expatriate quota violations and poor production accounting, Comrade Osifo pointed at reported cases of breach of regulatory guidelines in drilling of production wells. He noted that shady production activities might account for the reason why Nigerian workers are stagnated in positions where they would hardly know what SEEPCO Limited was doing.
He described the treatment of Nigerian workers at SEEPCO Limited as discriminatory, unsafe, abusive and outrightly unhealthy. He questioned why only about 1,500 Nigerians would be working with over 10,000 Indian expatriates in their own country.
Explaining why SEEPCO Limited would need such a high number expatriates in operating a lean asset, Comrade Osifo stated that the Indian expatriates are layered across all activities of the company in Nigeria. He said that even cooks, canteen mangers, vehicle tire vulcanizers, drivers, communication officers and gatemen at SEEPCO Limited are all Indians.
The Oracle Today reports that the scene of the rally was flooded with heavy presence of well mobilized anti-crime police squads in addition to private armed security guards stationed within and around the premises of the company. However, the high number of armed security personnel could not deter members of TUC and PENGASSAN from publicy naming and shaming the company around the neighbourhood.
Comrade Osifo also accused SEEPCO Limited management of employing massive use of security forces to inflict intimidation on workers. He wondered why the government would permit so much security personnel for private use of expatriates at time the populace was facing severe shortage of security personnel.
Part of the anti-crime police squad stationed at the premises of SEEPCO Limited in Lagos
Other speakers at the event including the National Public Relations Officer of PENGASSAN, Comrade Kingsley Udoidua; National Industrial Relations Officer, Dr Ifeanyi Eze; Warri Zonal Chairman, Comrade Ese Whiskey; and National Auditor I, Comrade Charles Ogborwu; all bemoaned the fate of Nigerian workers in SEEPCO Limited.
Dr Eze warned that whereas Nigeria seeks foreign direct investments in the petroleum industry, Nigerian workers must be treated with dignity and respect. He denounced SEEPCO Limited for adopting short term contract staffing that deprives local workers of all entitlements including pension, gratuity, allowances and other benefits accorded workers in the industry.
He challenged government’s regulators to rise to their plate and ensure that Nigeria derives the full economic value from foreign investments in exploitation of its petroleum resources. He denounced Nigerians accused on conniving with manipulative foreigners to enslave fellow compatriots.
Comrade Osifo assured the workers and stakeholders that the Lagos picketing event was a mere public enlightenment exercise, stating that real protest was simultaneously ongoing at all field operations facilities of e SEEPCO Limited.
He said that a meeting was being worked out with regulators and stakeholders to look into the demands of the union, vowing that PENGASSAN would drive the protest to national industrial action if all their demands are not met at the upcoming meeting which has been scheduled for next week. He added that the union would never sit alone in resolution meeting with management SEEPCO Limited over the issues.
Our efforts to get comments from industry regulatory agencies on the lapses that led to influx of sub-technical expatriates into the company did not yield immediate responses.
