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  • NCDMB explains SLA, other labour issues to NUPENG

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has explained its Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and other labour concerns raised by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

    NCDMB Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote spoke during a meeting by the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) in Abuja.

    The committee had invited the NCDMB management to respond to concerns raised by the oil workers that the Service Level Agreement (SLA) signed by the Board and the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) on May 9, would limit the duration of contracts of labour service to three months as against five years, which it claimed was previously the norm.

    The union leaders, however, sang a different tune after listening to the clarifications made by Wabote, who explained that the SLA between NCDMB and OPTS was aimed at shortening the protracted contracting cycle in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, which used to take about three years before the award of a major contract would be completed.

    The NUPENG officials pleaded with the NCDMB to examine the nature of employment agreements oil servicing firms foisted on their members. According to them, NUPENG members were often made to accept short-term contracts, with unfavourable conditions of service.

    NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha and Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, commended the Board for teh effective implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.

    Akporeha claimed that oil workers championed the Nigerian Content Bill when it was undergoing legislative processes, hence they expected the NCDMB to extend the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act to key labour issues, like the kinds and provisions of employment contracts, which operating and service companies subject employees to.

    He regretted that most operating firms no longer hire middle and lower cadre personnel on full time, instead they use casual workers. Such practices, he insisted, were against labour laws and inimical to the interests of the nation and its youths.

    Providing insight on the SLA, Wabote explained that the Board signed the first of such agreements with the Nigerian LNG Limited in May, last year and was developing the third SLA with the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).

    He said the SLA with the NLNG improved the speed of interactions between the two organisations, leading to the timely conclusion of the recent award of a contract by the NLNG to an indigenous company, E. A. Temile Development Company for the provision of a new build Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) ship.

    The executive secretary confirmed that the  SLA was aimed at accelerating the approval of  NCDMB’s activities on the contracting cycle and enhancing the ease of doing business,  a key policy thrust of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    “It is meant to shorten the time by removing all unwanted bottlenecks and red tapes in order to conclude Nigerian content reviews and approvals by NCDMB before award of contracts by NNPC-NAPIMS,”he said.

    He stressed that the SLA had nothing to do with reducing the tenure or duration of a project or contract; rather it would ensure that jobs are retained and are also created.

    “The protracted industry cycle led the IOCs to start using short term contracts which they review arbitrarily,” he said.

    Wabote promised to intervene in the complaints raised by NUPENG against operating and service companies, within the Board’s mandate. Regretting that most violators of the Nigerian Content Act were indigenous companies, he charged the union to serve as whistle blowers and report Nigerian Content infractions to the Board for sanction.

    He noted that NCDMB had extended the focus of Nigerian Content implementation to the midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, after recording appreciable success in the upstream sector.

    On the phasing out of junior personnel by oil producing firms, the executive secretary attributed it to the use of enhanced technology by the industry. “Most junior roles and tasks are executed by technology and that is why companies employ only highly skilled workers.”

    House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) Chairman, Hon Joseph Iranola Akinlaja, asked the Board and NUPENG to  interface regularly on labour issues. He decried casualisation and charged agencies of government to fight against it.

    A member of the House of Representatives Committee and former NUPENG President, Hon Peter Akpatason, urged firms to employ junior workers and build their capacities.

  • Violence, herdsmen killings threat to foreign investments in Nigeria – NUPENGASSAN

    The two unions in the nation’s oil and gas sector, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have said that the incessant violent killings across the country is threatening direct foreign investments in the country.

    Operating under the auspices of NUPENGASSAN, the unions said it was worried over the lack of self-belief by the citizens, who have literally lost confidence in the political leadership, and are involve in criminal activities that jeopardises the existence of the Nigeria nation as a one and indivisible country.

    Speaking on behalf of the unions, National President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson said they were deeply disturbed about the incessant violent killings and wanton destruction of lives and properties, especially farm lands as well as threats to the food security base of the country, thereby increasing poverty and hunger in the country.

    They expressed concern that the security challenges in the country are threatening foreign direct investment as many international investors can start to misconstrue Nigeria as an unsafe and dangerous investment destination.

    NUPENGASSAN said “this equally amounts to the losses these crises have caused many of our members and the psychological and economic damage they have suffered over the years.

    “The Council frowns at repeated clashes of similar nature across the country, which obviously is making people become apprehensive because of fear of the unknown.

    Read Also: Herdsmen: Buhari can’t back killers – Kalu

    “The council-in-session of sheer patriotism calls on the Federal Government and the affected state governments to work together, taking immediate steps to reinvigorate and overhaul their security system, strengthen conflict-resolution mechanisms and initiate longer-term efforts to look into familiar problems of insecurity in their domains.

    “As socially responsible stakeholders in the Nigerian project that strongly believes in sanctity of human life, the Council-in-Session therefore appeals to Governments at all levels to jettison cheap politics, hypocrisy and bias. It is high time they empower all our security agencies with the right resources and concentrate more on surveillance, intelligence gathering and intelligence processing with the right technology and equipment.

    “We want the Government to ensure that people get reprieve from the incessant violence and more importantly create lasting solution whereby lives of citizens are protected as required by the constitution.”

    The unions tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) admonish to remain unbiased in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities so that the conduct of the election in the country in 2019 will be credible, transparent, free and fair.

    They also asked all political parties and stakeholders in politics to eschew violence and divisive politics through utterances and actions as well as promote virtues that will entrench strong and united Nigeria where socio-economic fortunes of the country will be maximized and sustained.

    While condemning the increasing high level of unemployment in the country, NUPENGASSAN said “Even where we have employment, the jobs have become more or less slave labour with no hope for career growth and development.

    “In almost all multinational oil companies in Nigeria, there are no more direct permanent jobs for the middle level to lower level cadre, which has now become a bigger challenge of increased violent crimes and suicidal migrations.

    “We demands that the Government should make positive change employment policies and system, especially in the Oil and Gas Industry. The Government should make it mandatory for every oil and gas company in Nigeria to employ not less than 50% of its employees of middle to junior cadre as direct permanent workers to help indigent and less privileged youths to grow, develop and have hope in the nation and for the future.

    They also condemns the increasing impunities and anti labour tendencies of most indigenous and multinational oil companies in the oil and gas industry operating in the country.

    The unions said that “a situation is compounded by the fact that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that is supposed to be the watchdog in the areas of compliance with extant labour laws is unfortunately handicapped because of poor understanding of the contract processing and workings in the oil and gas industry.”

  • NUPENG seeks stakeholders’ summit to address oil, gas challenges

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) wants stakeholders in the nation’s oil and gas sector to immediately convene a summit to address unemployment and industrial relations crises in the sector.

    The union also announced the suspension of its planned industrial action and the withdrawal of the ultimatum it issued, adding that most of its demands contained in the ultimatum have either been addressed or are being addressed.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, its National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha said the  summit will go a long way in engendering industrial peace and harmony in the sector.

    He said NUPENG, as a peaceful and law abiding organisation will remain undeterred in its defense, promotion and protection of its member’s rights in tandem with extant rules and civilised conventions.

    He further said the union was also open to work at all times with labour-friendly employers for the enhancement of productivity and favourable growth of the oil and gas industry.

    He list demands of the union that has been met to include the reinstatement of 89 NUPENG members sacked in OES Deep sea in Port Harcourt, and the directive given by the Committee of the House of Representatives to the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board to commence immediate discussion with the Union on how to improve the lots of Nigerians with regard to job security and workers’ rights in the industry.

     

  • NUPENG to Buhari: make refineries work

    Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that local refineries work so as to ease the pressure of fuel trucks in Lagos and other cities in the country.

    Its Lagos Zonal Chairman, Comrade Tayo Aboyeji, who spoke against the backdrop of the fuel tanker crash in Lagos and its needless fatalities, said had the refineries been working to full capacity, there would have been no need for over 1,000 trucks to enter Lagos every day to load fuel.

    Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, he said the accident was very unfortunate, adding that members of the group will comply with Lagos State government’s directive on how to curb the challenges of accident on the road.

    He said: ‘’On a daily basis, over 1,000 tankers enter Lagos. This will always make the roads to be rowdy and there is possibility that accidents may occur once in a while.

    “If fuel depots outside Lagos were in full operation, tanker drivers would have no reason to come to Lagos. If you go to Ogere along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State, you will see tankers park there waiting for calls for them to come and load. However, the problem is that as they get to Lagos, on their way to the tank farms, they are trapped because of the activities of articulated vehicles going into the ports. Our members are just victims of the congestion on the roads to the tank farms.

    “The problem can only be solved if the ports in Lagos are de-congested. It is not about bad roads, it is purely about the volume of traffic going and coming out of the ports. If and when the roads are fixed, and the ports are not decongested, the gridlock will continue. Government should ensure that other ports in the country such as Calabar, Onne, Port Harcourt and Warri are patronized by diverting ships to them.’’

    “He said contrary to insinuations that tanker drivers are decidedly reckless, he said his members are law abiding citizen and are always prepared to cooperate with the government to ensure safety on the roads.

     

     

     

  • Train tanker drivers to avoid accidents, FRSC charges NUPENG/PTD

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has charged the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Petroleum Tanker Driver (PTD) section to engage its members in rigorous traffic trainings to avoid frequent accidents.

    Mr Bisi Kazeem, Head of Public Education, FRSC, told our reporters on Saturday that such training would minimize accidents involving tankers on the roads.

    “We are charging them to start engaging their members in rigorous traffic trainings so as to meet minimum safety standards concerning their vehicles.

    “It is very important to train and retrain them, to enable them follow the rules and regulations and to meet the road standard concerning their vehicles,” he said.

    The FRSC boss said there was an urgent need for government and stakeholders’ consultation, and that government needed to initiate policy or legislation to curb their excesses on the road.

    According to him, the new policy will regulate their operations and channel their movement to the rail network.

    Kazeem said the ongoing rail projects across the country would put an end to the menace of tanker accidents when completed.

    Read Also: 2018 budget: NUPENG rejects cut in allocation to Lagos-Ibadan road, others

    NUPENG/PTD National Chairman, Mr Salmon Oladiti, and the entire members of union have commiserated with the families of the victims of the Otedola Bridge Lagos-Ibadan expressway fire incident in Lagos on Thursday.

    Oladiti said it was an unfortunate occurrence because in the recent past, such calamities had been avoided by the members of the NUPENG/PTD.

    According to him, the union has been collaborating with the FRSC and other law enforcement agencies to observe the minimum safety standards on the highways.

    “All efforts will be put in place to ensure that this kind of disaster does not occur again on our roads.

    “We sincerely mourn the dead and share in the pains of the affected families, the Lagos State Government and the entire people of Nigeria,” the Chairman said.

    The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday visited the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, to convey the condolences of the Federal Government to the State Government on the tragic tanker explosion.

    Osinbajo, who spoke shortly after a closed door meeting with the Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, said the Federal Government was deeply saddened by the incident.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari had delegated him to visit the state to commiserate with the people of Lagos on the unfortunate incident.

    NAN

  • NUPENG rejects N11.5b cut in budgetary allocation

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) has condemned the N11.5 billion cut by the National Assembly from the proposed allocations in the 2018 budget.

    According to NUPENG President Prince Williams Akporeha, cutting from allocations for crucial and very critical infrastructural projects is unhealthy for economic development, especially as efforts are being made to consolidate on growth after the recession.

    He said the projets have huge socio-economic impacts on national and regional roads like the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, second Niger Bridge, ancillary roads, East-West Road, and Bonny-Bodo Road, among others.

    “To say the least, it is unreasonable and insensitive to the yearnings of the people our parliamentarians claim to represent. More painfully, these ill-informed decisions have the potential of impacting negatively on the nation’s economic recovery plans,” he said.

    Akporeha said Nigerians were still in shock that these critical trunk roads, which play significant roles, particularly in the value chain of the oil and gas downstream sector and other critical economic activities in the country, would be expunged from the budget at a time the union was craving for state of emergency on Nigerian roads.

     

     

    He said, “NUPENG strongly believes that the constitutional direction of a national budget must be patriotically designed to consolidate achievements of previous budgets so as to deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) which is the same line of logical, reasonable and responsible thought process that we expect from our federal lawmakers.”

    He said the union cannot afford to fold its hands while its hardworking and patriotic members’ lives are being carelessly wasted on the highways as well as facing unimaginable hazards on the roads.

     

  • 2018 budget: NUPENG rejects cut in allocation to Lagos-Ibadan road, others

    The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed displeasure at National Assembly’s cut in his year’s budgetary allocation to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other major highways across the country by N11.5 billion.

    In a statement by its National President, Prince Williams Akporeha, the union said: “Cutting from allocations meant for crucial and very critical infrastructural projects that have huge socio-economic impacts on national and regional roads, like the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, ancillary roads, East-West road, Bonny-Bodo road and others, to say the least, is unreasonable and insensitive to the yearnings of the people. Our parliamentarians’ claim to represent, more painfully this ill-informed decisions, have the potential of impacting negatively on the nation’s economic recovery plans.

    “We are still in shock that these critical trunk roads, which play significant roles, particularly in the value chain of the oil and gas downstream sector and other critical and crucial economic activities in the country, would be expunged from the national budget at a time the union is craving for state of emergency on Nigerian roads.

    “NUPENG strongly believes that the constitutional direction of a national budget must be patriotically designed to consolidate the achievements of previous budgets to deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, as envisaged by the present-day government, which is the same line of logical, reasonable and responsible thought process that we expect from our Federal lawmakers.

    “However, the union cannot afford to fold its arms while our hardworking and patriotic members’ lives are being carelessly and pitiably wasted on the highways as well as facing unimaginable hazards on the roads, particularly the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG, whose main professional calling to the service of our nation is the lifting and distribution of petroleum products across the length and breadth of the nation in order to energise social and economic activities of all Nigerians.

    “We hate to always raise concerns over road accidents involving our members as a result of deplorable conditions of the nation’s road networks. It is also an open secret that the current nature of our roads is a real contributory factor to tanker accidents, which we are experiencing virtually on daily basis. Unfortunately, the 2018 Appropriation Act, which we thought could save us from this life threatening menace, has again dashed our hope.

    “NUPENG is using this medium to call on all relevant stakeholders in government, especially the Legislature and the Executive, to urgently reconsider all the aforementioned road infrastructural projects as well as other critical areas affecting the Oil and Gas sector that were flippantly jettisoned from the budget in the interest of all Nigerians and for the entrenchment and sustenance of industrial growth and development.”

  • Labour ministry too weak to check excesses of oil companies- NUPENG

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) has said that the Nigerian Ministry of Labour and Employment was not making concrete efforts to check the protracted labour issues concerning the operations of the multinational oil and gas companies in the country.

    The union is also accusing Dutch oil giant, Shell of pioneering the practice of casualisation and precarious work in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and has stopped employing workers on permanent basis for the past 20 years.

    In its presentation to the ILO Committee on the Application of Standard signed by President of the Union, Comrade William Akporeha, NUPENG said the Ministry appeared overwhelmed by the ever changing and manipulative policies in the various Human Relations departments of these stakeholders who never wanted to halt precarious work claiming that their role is only advisory

    The Union said as at today, SHELL alone has close to 2000 contractors with over 20,000 precarious workers from their three subsidiaries of SNEPCo, SPDC and SNG, adding that there is no single direct staff member of NUPENG in SHELL Nigeria.

    NUPENG said the management of Shell continuously frustrated union activities in their contracting companies which run their contractual policies, ranging from 6 to 12 months.

    The union said “the struggle against this form of workers exploitation is almost three decades old, and it has been a herculean task, membership of the union has been seriously depleted, indecent work entrenched resulting into upsurge in crime and social dislocations and defiant behaviours”.

    According to NUPENG, the International Oil Companies, through various policies and practices entrenched anti-labour/ union organizing situation in the Nigeria oil and gas industry, include refusal to allow unionization of Contract and service contracts workers.

    It said the policies also include “fragmentation of Contracts into thousands to frustrate the efforts of the union in organizing precarious workers, making worker to sign pre engagement non membership of union, and this makes precarious workers dread associating with the union, treating labour relations issues with contempt and disdain to the extent of refusing implementation on rulings of Industrial Arbitration Panels whenever it goes against the company”.

    The union said that the wages these IOCs pay workers in Nigeria are so poor and very ridiculous; an average precarious worker is paid less than $200 per month.

    As a result of the prevalent practice of casual/contract employment policy by these Multinational companies, NUPENG said the workers are denied collective bargaining power and in some instances, where a CBA is signed, the all-powerful multinationals through their contractors refuse to implement despite all entreaties.

    “The wicked elopement of Contract workers severance benefits by Contractors to these IOCs. A Nigerian would work under harsh and hard conditions for several years receiving peanuts and yet while the contract ends, his/her severance benefits are taken away by contractors hired by an international oil company. Most times when confronted they feign ignorance of the where about of the contractor

    “The health and Safety conditions of work of these worker is disheartening, they are constantly exposed to hazardous chemical, no Personal protective equipment, no access to medical facility, no annual vacation, no insurance cover, long hours of work with no time off from work.

    “The repressive anti-labour activities of these multinational oil and gas companies generally accentuated the social upheavals in the Niger Delta region, revolts in the form of organized attacks on installations, hostage taking and community insurgence, as prevalent today in the Niger Delta region, and other parts of the country where there is mass unemployment and under-employment”.

  • NUPENG, PENGASSAN seek national honours for unions’ leaders

    NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) leadership said it was pleased with the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to officially announce “June 12” as the new date to replace the traditional “May 29” as Democracy Day

    Its National President, Comrade Prince Williams Akporeha, in a statement, said: “We also commend the President for conferring a posthumous GCFR title on the winner of June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (of blessed memory), and GCON titles on his running mate, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe as well as the late legal icon and human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, posthumously for his role in the actualisation of the June 12 polls.

    He said the unions were, however, stunned that such high profile national recognition and honour was offered by the Presidency and no credit whatsoever was given to NUPENG and its sister union, PENGASSAN despite the roles played by their leaders.

    “Without contradiction, the democracy Nigeria enjoys today did not come on a silver platter, the leadership of these unions as well as our members fought for it, in some instances with our blood, tears, freedom, career and regrettably some paid the supreme price.

    “As responsible oil unions with long road to freedom and indelible footprints, we have left behind in the chequered history of the Nigeria, without sounding immodest, we believe names like Comrade (Chief) Frank Ovie Kokori (NUPENG former General Secretary), (late) Comrade Wariebi Kojo Agamene (former President of NUPENG), former General Secretary of PENGASSAN Comrade (Chief) Milton Gilchrist Dabibi and others should have featured prominently on that list.

    “These fearless and irrepressible Nigerians gave their all to earn the country democratic liberty. For pecuniary gains and other reasons, some other Nigerians pitched their tent with the tyrannical military regimes, but our leaders were resolute and blatantly refused to compromise or to receive any form of gratification, despite intimidation, victimisation, harassment and incarceration by the military despot.

    “We, therefore, use this veritable medium to appeal to our listening National leader, President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his think-tank to look inwards and make necessary amends by reviewing this list so as to accommodate the names of these veterans mentioned above.”

     

  • June 12: NUPENG commends Buhari for honouring MKO, others

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for officially announcing June 12 as the new Democracy Day in the country.

    Mr Williams Akporeha, NUPENG President, gave the commendation while speaking with newsmen at the 107th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva on Thursday.

    It will be recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that the nation’s Democracy Day would henceforth, hold on June 12 thereby replacing the traditional ‘‘May 29”.

    Akporeha said the announcement was a welcome development as it was long overdue.

    He also commended President Buhari for conferring a posthumous GCFR award on the presumed winner of June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (of blessed memory).

    He applauded the President for conferring GCON titles on his running mate, Amb. Baba Gana Kingibe and human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) for their roles in the struggle to actualise June 12 presidential election.

    Akporeha, however, said names like Frank Ovie Kokori, (NUPENG former General Secretary), Late Wariebi Kojo Agamene (former President of NUPENG), former General Secretary of PENGASSAN, (Chief) Milton Gilchrist Dabibi and others should have featured prominently on the list.

    Read Also:When ‘ll Abiola be immortalised?

    According to him, the union is stunned that such high profile national recognition and honour was offered by the Presidency.

    “But no credit, whatsoever, was given to NUPENG and PENGASSAN despite the painstaking roles played by the leaders,’’ he said.

    He added that without any fear of contradiction, the democracy Nigeria has been enjoying since May 29, 1993 did not come on a silver platter.

    He noted that the leadership of these unions as well as their members fought for it, in some instances with blood, tears, freedom, career, adding that regrettably some people paid the supreme price.

    He said these fearless and irrepressible Nigerians gave their all to earn the nation’s democratic liberty.

    “For pecuniary gains and other reasons, some other Nigerians pitched their tent with the tyrannical military regimes.

    “However, our leaders were resolute and blatantly refused to compromise or to receive any form of gratification despite intimidation, victimisation, harassment and incarceration by the military despot,’’ Akporeha added.

    He, therefore, appealed to Mr. President to set a think-tank to look inwards and make necessary amends by reviewing the list in order to accommodate the names of the veterans mentioned above.