Abuja, December 15, 2014 - The attention of Total E & P Nigeria Limited (TEPNG) has been drawn to statements in the media allegedly made on December 14, 2014 by the National leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) that the three day warning strike is in part designed to press “for the reinstatement of the National Zonal Secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Elo who was sacked by Total E&P Nigeria Ltd”.
Following a routine corporate reorganization, 71 employees from Port Harcourt and Abuja including Mrs. Elo, were given letters of transfer to Lagos in August, 2014. Mrs. Elo received a transfer and inconvenience allowance of more than Nine Million Naira and then refused to proceed to her new location.
Instead of approaching the Company in which she was an employee, to re-consider her transfer, she complained to a number of external parties and agencies and invited them to intervene in a routine internal employer – employee matter. She sought to force a reversal of the transfer, citing her role as a Port Harcourt Zonal official of the union.
At the same time, Mrs. Elo absented herself from work without permission for over thirty days. Total had the option to summarily dismiss her for refusing to proceed on transfer and/or for absenting herself for more than seven days without permission, both a clear breach of the terms of her employment contract which she signed. TEPNG was magnanimous in waiting for thirty days before terminating her employment contract with full benefits even though she has not yet refunded the transfer allowance of over Nine Million Naira.
A Labour Dispute process was launched at the Federal Ministry of Labour by PENGASSAN who then declined to pursue this option. TEPNG supports this process which should be allowed to proceed to allow knowledgeable third parties to review the facts and make an informed decision with the participation of all parties.
PENGASSAN and NUPENG have been strong representatives of our employees for more than 35 years and we fully respect the rights of our employees to participate in union activities. We will continue to work with both unions in the interest of staff and the development of the oil and gas sector.
MANAGEMENT
For further information, contact:
Charles Ogan, Deputy General Manager – Policy, Media & Coordination
Mobile: +234 (0) 807 017 7073, +234 (0) 703 413 0511
E-mail: charles.ogan@total.com
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AS parts of Nigeria reel in pains following the warning strike by oil workers, Total Exploration and Production (Total E&P) Nigeria Limited has revealed that the aggrieved worker, Mrs. Elo Ogbonda, breached her terms of employment, which warranted the termination of her employment.
Workers in the nation’s oil and gas industry have concluded plans to commence a nationwide warning strike this Monday to protest against the federal government’s failure to carry out turnaround maintenance on the refineries and reduce the pump prices of petroleum products in line with the slump in global oil price.
The workers, under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), had issued a 14-day ultimatum after their joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on October 31, over alleged sack of members by Total Exploration and Production (TOTAL E&P).
The meeting was meant to forestall the planned nationwide strike by the aforementioned unions.
The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said it was resuming the strike it suspended early in July this yesterday for breach of agreement.
There is growing tension in both the downstream and the upstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, following a 14-day ultimatum handed over to Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) by the Port Harcourt Zone of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), THISDAY has learnt.
