By Appolos Christian
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has given the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, seven days to reinstate the 175 workers sacked from its different operation stations across the country, or risk an industrial action.
President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who condemned the transmission of the sack notice via WhatsApp messages by service contractors on behalf of the company, also demanded a public apology to the sacked staff for such inhumane treatment.
Wabba who disclosed that tens of Nigerian workers have been relieved of their jobs for insisting on exercising their rights to join trade unions of their choice in line with extant laws, expressed shock that Chevron, a supposedly global brand, would “descend into the gutters of unfair, callous and barbaric treatment of its workers.”
Congress in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, said it was certain Chevron would never attempt to infringe on the labour laws of the United States of America where its headquarters was located, nor exercise the kind of cruel, under-hand and servile treatment it metes out to Nigerians to its staff in the United States or European countries where it maintains operations.
The statement reads in part: “This is not the first time that Chevron Nigeria Limited is baring its tyrannical fangs on Nigerians in its employment.
“We understand that the arbitrary and unlawful disengagement of the affected workers by Chevron is an attempt to evade negotiation and responsibility for a number of anti-worker practices going on in Chevron including illegal deduction of workers’ benefits since 2012 and failure to refund workers whose appointments were terminated the excess deductions made in their terminal benefits.
“Other grievous infractions against workers by the management of Chevron and its service contractors include sustained discrimination against contract workers as evident by the refusal to pay such workers their quarantine allowances, Chevron’s incitement of host communities against NUPENG members, and refusal to pay 2018 annual vacation allowance.
“We are at a loss why Chevron would decide to deploy double standards in its treatment of Nigerians in its employment. It is difficult to understand why Chevron believes Nigerian law should be trampled upon while American or European laws are to be held in sacrosanct. Nigerians have had enough of this Dinosauria colonial mindset. This time, the push has come to shove!
“In view of the entrenched culture of arbitrariness, discrimination, high-handedness, impunity and crass disrespect for Nigerian laws and the working people of Nigeria, we demand that Chevron Nigeria Limited and its service contractors must recall the Nigerians sacked from its employment, render an unqualified public apology for the inhumane treatment meted against the sacked workers especially the manner their termination was conveyed through Whatsapp messages and set in motion mechanisms for negotiations on all the outstanding industrial issues faced by Nigerians workers in the employment of Chevron.
“We endorse the seven days ultimatum given by our affiliate in the sector – the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) – to the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited to comply with the foregoing demands or risk an all-out industrial action. We also call on the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to intervene swiftly to avoid an unnecessary disruption and hemorrhage on our economy.”
