Mobil, Neconde managements meet union over protests

The management of ExxonMobil has agreed to meet representatives of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at 12 noon on Tuesday (Today) to find a lasting solution to the protest of alleged breach while the management of Neconde held a meeting as at 4pm on Monday (Yesterday) to also find a lasting solution to the impasse.

The PENGASSAN picketed the head offices of ExxonMobil and Neconde Energy Nigeria Limited, on Monday, ý due to allege anti-labour activities by the managements of both companies.

ExxonMobil’s operations across the country which produce 650,000 barrels per day were shut down since last week while Neconde’s 55,000 bpd production was also shut down on Monday, resulting in a total loss of 705,000 barrels per day to the nation.

ExxonMobil was accused of sacking over 140 Nigerian workers in December 2016, while the management of Neconde, a subsidiary of Obijackson Group, was accused of non-payment of transfer benefits, non-review of severance packages and unfair treatment of Nigerian workers who were transferred to Warri from its Lagos office without prior information and payment of transfer benefits.

Besides, on Monday, members of Sinopec-Addax and Chevron branches of PENGASSAN were also prevented from resuming work at their respective offices in solidarity with their affected colleagues at ExxonMobil and Neconde.

Managing Director of Neconde Energy Limited, Engr. Frank Edozie, maintained that all the workers’ salaries had been paid till date and the transfer benefits which PENGASSAN claimed were denied the workers had been agreed to be settled in August when the damaged Trans-Forcados pipeline would have been re-opened and production ramped up to about 60,000 bpd.