The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has threatened to commence a fresh industrial action, following the sacking of its members in an oil firm, Fedoz Nigeria Limited.
The union said the firm violated the extant labour laws by terminating the appointments of four of its members who joined PENGASSAN, noting that they were exercising their inalienable rights as guaranteed in Section 40 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
PENGASSAN Assistant General Secretary, Port Harcourt Zone, Tamuno Dappu, disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The Port Harcourt Zone covers states in the South-South and South-East.
Dappu urged all the branch chainmen and chapter chairman of the Association to be on red alert for the imminent strike.
He also notified the managements of oil and gas companies within Port Harcourt Zone, industry regulators and the security agencies of its resolve to shut down oil operations in the industry over the issue.
The notice read, “We are compelled to inform you that the Management of Fedoz Nigeria Limited has grossly violated the extant labour laws by terminating the appointments of four of our members who joined our Association for exercising their inalienable rights as guaranteed in Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Management has also rebuffed all genuine efforts for amicable resolution of the issue (including the intervention of the Honourable Minister through the Zonal
Director, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Port Harcourt).
“In view of the above, we are left with no other option than to direct you to be on red alert for an imminent shutdown of oil facilities in our Zone to press home for the reinstatement of four members whose appointments were brazenly terminated by Fedoz Nigeria Limited contrary to ILO Conventions 87 and 98, extant Labour Laws and the supreme law of the land- the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
