Barely four months after the labour strike that grounded commercial activities, employees of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), who are members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have embarked on a strike action without any prior notice.
The company�s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr Femi Odumabo, in a statement made available to THISDAY, stated that the workers attached to Escravos, Warri, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Onne and Lagos locations initiated the strike action on October 9.
Odumabo said there was no notice between management and the employees, prior to the strike and described the action as illegal as the workers did not issue any notice to the effect.
�Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture, confirms that employees of some of the companies providing labour workforce to Chevron, and belonging to the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), initiated strike action on October 9, 2007, at Chevron�s Escravos, Warri, Port Harcourt, Abuja , Onne and Lagos locations,� he said.
�The strike is illegal as no notice was given to management, nor a trade dispute declared, before the action began. Relevant government agencies and the national leadership of the union are being engaged to intervene. We are managing the situation towards a timely and peaceful resolution. CNL has taken appropriate steps to ensure continued safety and security of our personnel and assets in all our areas of operation�, the statement read.The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had in June embarked on a four- days strike to protest the increase in petrol pump price from N65 to N75 per litre, the 100 per cent hike in Value Added Tax, sale of some national assets as well as the implementation of the 15 per cent salary increase announced by the government.Oil workers under the umbrellas of NUPENG and PENGASSAN in the employment of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and other government affiliates also joined in the action.However, the action was called off on June 23, sequel to the intervention by President Umaru Musa Yar�Adua, who also ordered a reduction in the petroleum pump price, and the suspension of implementation of the 100 per cent VAT hike.
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