PENGASSAN SHUTS DOWN STERLING OIL OVER EXPATRIATE ABUSE AND ANTI-LABOUR PRACTICES
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The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) brought activities to a halt at Sterling Oil Exploration’s headquarters in Lagos, protesting alleged anti-labour activities and expatriate abuse. The union’s leadership and workers gathered at the office entrance, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards demanding the reinstatement of sacked Nigerian workers and an end to collective bargaining agreement violations.
PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, criticized Sterling Oil’s management for abusing the expatriate quota system, leading to discrimination against skilled Nigerian workers. He alleged that the company has over 10,000 Indian expatriates working in Nigeria, monopolizing jobs that Nigerians are qualified to perform.
Osifo highlighted the poor treatment of Nigerian workers, saying they have been “pushed to the background” and their welfare is “abysmal.” He noted that while Nigerian workers are qualified for management positions, they are being overlooked in favor of Indian expatriates. “Our members in Sterling have been subjugated… When you go to other international oil and gas companies, you have Nigerians even as managing directors, deputy managing directors, executive general managers, general managers, and so on,” Osifo said.
The union leader also alleged that Sterling Oil has expatriates working in menial jobs, such as gate men, vulcanizers, and cooks. “In Sterling Global, we have expatriates as gate men, vulcanizers; we have expatriates making tea; we have expatriates that are Nigerian cooks, cooking for Nigerians to eat in Nigeria,” Osifo said.
Osifo warned that the picket was the first in a series of activities that would be happening, and if plans to arrive at an agreement failed, it would continue until there was a resolve. He called on the government to urgently intervene in the matter, warning that if the issue is not corrected, it could lead to a national strike, grounding the entire oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
“If this is not corrected, this has a propensity of leading to a national strike, where we will call out our members across the nook and cranny of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Also, remember, the oppressions of the entire oil and gas industry in Nigeria is manned by our members, and we will call them out, the entire oppressions will be grounded. So, government must act, and the time to act is now,” Osifo said.
In response, Sterling Oil directed its workers to start working from home pending a resolution, promising to address the issue soon.
