Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has opposed the recent Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, entered into by the Federal Government and Oando Plc to manage Port Harcourt Refinery under repair, operate and maintain, ROM arrangement, saying the company is unfriendly to workers.
In a statement yesterday, General Secretary, Joseph Ogbebor, described the arrangement as faulty, non-transparent and that it did not involve stakeholders, especially the two oil workers unions, NUPENG and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
The union advised the Federal Government against the takeover bid by Oando, warning that it would resist it, if it found out it would lead to job losses.
According to him: “Oando Plc is not a worker-friendly organization as it detests unionization in all its subsidiaries and companies.
“We are not against the Federal Government’s reforms to overhaul the oil and gas sector, but it should not be to the detriment of workers.
“NUPENG will resist the arrangement with Oando if the oil workers are thrown into the unemployment market.
“The change promised by the present administration is to generate more jobs and not kill jobs which Oando is known for.
“We call on the Federal Government to involve NUPENG and PENGASSAN in the arrangement before it is signed by the end of July, 2017, to avert a major industrial crisis in the oil and gas sector of the economy.”
