The National President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Williams Akporeha, has made a revelation about oil companies in Nigeria.
He disclosed that NUPENG had received information of how some companies gave marching orders against unionism.
Akporeha spoke yesterday in Lagos at a press conference on the union’s forthcoming 40th anniversary.
He said: “NEUPENG is facing extinction, where the norms in the industry is casualization. We’ve had situations where companies in Oil and Gas industry hire union busters.
“They hire HR managers and the only mandate they give them is ‘please ensure that there is no union in my company’.
“We are not just talking, we have the facts, and I’m sure most of you also know them because we have always called you to highlight those issues.”
Akporeha also stated his position on union leaders going into politics.
“At this point, I don’t think leaving or abandoning the cause of our members for politics will be the best but that does not mean we may not be interested.
“Our focus is to protect the jobs of our members, wherever they may be, whether as contract workers or as casual worker. To strengthen our members with good job protection and stability.
“My focus is not to delve into politics. Any of my member that wants to go into politics of course knows how to go about it but my leadership is not to encourage anybody to so for now because NUPENG as an organisation is endangered.
“So my focus is to make sure that NUPENG continues to stand tall not for only the workers but for the Nigerian populace.
“And who are we going to recognize in the cause of our 40th anniversary
celebration? We will recognize all spectrum of the society, including the ordinary people, those who believe in our struggle.
“Most times when we go on strike, not everybody you see on the streets are actually NUPENG members.
“We have organisation, civil societies that also identify with us, we will also recognize those kind of groups while also appreciating our former leaders and friendly players in the industry.”
Meanwhile, Akporeha and his National Administrative Council (NAC) members have visited the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru and his management team.
Akporeha said the meeting gave both parties an avenue to discuss matters affecting the oil and gas industry.
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