The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has decried the imposition of indecent work condition by International Oil Companies (IOCs) and their labour contractors in the country.
Lamenting that the situation was getting worse daily, the union alleged that the statutory institutions and agencies saddled with protecting workers’ interests were twiddling their thumbs.
NUPENG canvassed a stop to the trend in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.
In a communiqué issued at the end the union’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lagos, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha urged institutions and agencies saddled with protecting workers’ interest to address the exploitation of workers.
He noted that the unhealthy contract cycle in the industry could further impoverish workers.
Among other issues critical to the sector, the oil workers said, is the granting of contracts without recruiter’s licence. The union expressed worry that it has impacted negatively on the conditions of work of those being recruited.
He said it was obvious that many labour contractors being engaged by oil and gas companies were not registered as recruiters in violation of the laws.
According to him, there is a massive exploitation and abuse of workers’ rights to the extent of eloping with contract workers’ severance benefits by the contactors to these oil companies.
Akporeha noted that the union has resolved to activate the instrument of the law and other legitimate means as recognised by the labour laws and conventions to fight inhuman treatments of workers.
“Some of these cases include Virtual Travel Network that eloped with terminal benefits of 48 NAOC contract workers since 2015 and Logistics Facility Affairs (LFA), a contractor with Chevron Nigeria Limited that also ran away with workers’ final entitlement.
“A Nigerian would work under harsh and hard conditions for several years receiving peanuts and yet when the contract ends, the worker’s severance benefits are stolen away by contractors and hired by an international oil companies.
“Most times when confronted, these IOCs feign ignorance of the whereabouts of these portfolio contractors and recruiters,” he said.
On the deplorable state of roads across the country, NUPENG called on the Federal Government to expedite action on repairing bad roads within the six geo-political zones to assuage the sufferings of Nigerians, who are use the dilapidated roads.