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19 July, 2005
An oil industry contractor in Nigeria sacking 170 workers because they exercised their right to trade union representation could provoke a strike early next week. ICEM affiliate NUPENG gave a 14-day ultimatum to Outsourcing Services Ltd. and ChevronTexaco to re-hire the workers and correct their miserable terms of employment. The South African firm is doing work for the US supermajor at Escravos, near Warri, and at offshore oil installations.
The contract workers are paid extremely low wages and “used as expendable mules in Nigeria,” NUPENG said in a statement. “It is repugnant to good justice, fair play, equity and human dignity,” the statement added. Both NUPENG and Nigerian white-collar affiliate PENGASSAN have renewed a strike threat in the Port Harcourt area over the conduct of another contractor, Malaysian-based Wasco.
The unions want two expatriate Wasco bosses expelled from Nigeria, as well as written apologies issued after the bosses made insulting and derogatory comments during wage and benefit bargaining. That strike could occur tomorrow if company and government actions are not taken.