WorldStage Newsonline– The management of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has confirmed the engagement of the leaders of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over the 175 workers laid off by one of its contract companies.
Mr Esimaje Brikinn, the company’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs said that the laid-off workers were not employees of Chevron but workers of an independent contractor providing services to Chevron.
He said the contract company laid off its workers following the suspension of the service contract agreement between it and Chevron.
He said, “CNL is a responsible and law-abiding company.
“In keeping with our commitment to resolving issues through meaningful dialogue and respect for the rule of law, we are engaging the leaders of NUPENG and the contractor company to fully understand and seek an amicable resolution of the issues.
“The company’s highest priority remains the welfare and safety of its employees, contractors and the security of its assets; we will, therefore, do our best to safeguard these interests,” Brikinn said.
Meanwhile, NUPENG has said that the seven-day ultimatum given to Chevron and its service contractors to recall the sacked contract workers was still intact.
NUPENG’s National President, Mr Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Mr Afolabi Olawale, made the clarification in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
Reacting to a report which quoted CNL management as saying that it had engaged the union over the sacked workers, the duo denied meeting with the management of CNL to dialogue over the sacked workers.
“No such meeting took place; the seven-day ultimatum remains intact.
“The union urges members to ignore the report, continue to be on red alert and mobilise for the impending strike at the expiration of the ultimatum,” the leaders said.
