Employees of Addax Petroleum Development have embarked on strike over anti-labour practices.
Addax, owned by China’s Sinopec Group, has four oil mining licences: OMLs 123, 124, 126, and 137.
It operates the assets in a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before its transformation to a limited liability company.
The company has about 324 employees, which include 141 permanent staff and 183 contract employees.
According to the workers, who are members of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Addax management refused to engage them on labour related issues after the announcement of revocation of its licences by the Federal Government.
The workers threatened to shut the company’s operations, including oil wells, valves crude lifting, and export terminals if the company refused to engage them, saying all attempts to get the management to the negotiation table failed.
The workers said sequel to notification by the APN Management informing its employees on the withdrawal of operating licenses by the NNPC in a town hall meeting, both parties met and reached a financial term of exit settlement for all the workers.
Our correspondent gathered that it was agreed that the financial exit settlement will be executed at the expiration of Addax Petroleum Nigeria’s PSC agreement for OML 123 and 124 by July 1, 2022.
“Addax Management has so far rebuffed our call for the execution of the financial exit settlement and other employees related issues,” a source said.
Senior Assistant General Secretary, Lagos Zone PENGASSAN, Comrade Babatunde Oke confirmed that the strike was embarked upon by members due to the management’s refusal to engage the association on the financial settlement earlier agreed on.
One of the workers who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity explained that the workers have waited patiently for the management “but it is like they are insensitive to our problems.”
“Many letters have been written asking for a meeting but the Management refused to meet them,” the worker said.
The striking workers claimed that the Federal Government has done everything possible through the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to ensure issues are settled amicably.