The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members working with Newcross Exploration and Production Limited to withdraw their services nationwide.
The industrial action, which commenced on Monday, follows the issuance of query and suspension letters to some of its members by Newcross, operators of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 24 in Rivers State. PENGASSAN has described the company’s action as arbitrary and unjust.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Assistant General Secretary of PENGASSAN’s Port Harcourt Zonal Office, Sere Nwikabeh, and made available to journalists on Monday.
According to the statement, the association decided to take the drastic step after Newcross failed to consult or engage with PENGASSAN before taking disciplinary action against its members.
“Following the arbitrary query and suspension letters issued to our members by the management of Newcross Exploration and Production Company without recourse to our association, the union is constrained to direct our members to withdraw their services from all locations with immediate effect,” the statement read.
PENGASSAN said the strike action is a proactive measure to protect the rights, safety, and job security of its members.
“This action will remain in force until the management withdraws the query and suspension letters and resumes negotiation on our Branch Collective Bargaining Agreement,” the union stated.
The association emphasized that it remains committed to peaceful dialogue but warned that it would not tolerate acts of intimidation or unfair labor practices against its members.
Leave a Reply