Nigeria oil production may suffer setback as the oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have vowed to shut down production from oil fields managed by Brittania-U Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.
Brittania-U Nigeria is currently producing about 10,000 barrel per day from its major oil fields- CNL Ajapa Marginal Field (OML 90) and the Ajapa-1 SDTR2 and Tripod/Wellhead, including the FPSO – Brittania-U I.
PENGASSAN, whose members commenced a three-day picketing of Brittania-U head office in Lagos on Wednesday, in a statement, said the management of oil company has been indulging in anti-labour practices and inhuman treatment of its employees.
Speaking on the second day of the picketing on Thursday, the acting Chairman of PENGASSAN Lagos Zone, Comrade Eyam Abeng, who led the picketing, said “If by tomorrow (Friday), the company refused to accede to our demands of ending its anti-labour practices, our association will not hesitate to block Brittania-U platforms and stop the oil firm from production”.
“We are blocking the office in Lagos to give room for dialogue on some of our demands, which include flagrant disobedience to the Nigerian laws of Freedom of Association and lawful assembly and the right of employees to belong to trade union of their choice; unjustifiable sack of workers who expressed interest in joining union, lack of respect for the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA); and deplorable environment and working conditions.”
PENGASSAN Lagos Zonal Industrial Relations Officer, Comrade Musa Leroy, said that if after the three days warning picketing without result, the association would mobilise its members to block oil platforms managed by Brittania-U.
“We are the one of the strong forces that fought for indigenous operators to work in the oil and gas industry by ensuring that the local content not only established but implemented. Now, some of these indigenous operators like Brittania-U, are the one that are denying our Nigerians the benefits of having a good welfare package”.
