PENGASSAN Threatens Nationwide Strike Over BelemaOil’s Unpaid Salaries and CBA Dispute
In a brewing standoff, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has issued a stern warning of a potential nationwide strike over grievances involving unpaid salaries and the absence of a Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) with indigenous oil firm, BelemaOil Producing Limited.
Members of PENGASSAN have commenced picketing of BelemaOil’s facilities in Port Harcourt, alleging prolonged salary arrears, mistreatment of workers, and the failure of the company to establish a proper condition of service for its employees spanning over eight years.
Comrade Ese Okusi, the national auditor of PENGASSAN and leader of the protest, emphasized the union’s frustration with the management’s reluctance to engage in meaningful discussions to address these pressing concerns. Okusi cautioned BelemaOil’s management, urging them to swiftly address the grievances to avert what he described as ‘a mother-of-all protests’ by PENGASSAN across the nation.
Mr. Dan Opusingi, Chairman of PENGASSAN, BelemaOil branch, echoed similar sentiments, alleging systematic maltreatment and deprivation of workers’ rights since the inception of operations in 2016. Opusingi reiterated the demand for the signing of a CBA and the settlement of outstanding salary payments and entitlements, threatening sustained occupation of the company’s premises until their demands are met.
The allegations raised by PENGASSAN members, including claims of poor working conditions, non-remittance of pension contributions, and arbitrary dismissals, paint a grim picture of the situation within BelemaOil. Despite the gravity of these allegations, the management of BelemaOil has remained silent in response to the ongoing picketing of its corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt.
As tensions escalate between PENGASSAN and BelemaOil, stakeholders and observers are keenly monitoring the situation, apprehensive of the potential disruptions a nationwide strike could inflict on the oil and gas sector.
