Change employment policies in oil & gas sector, NUPENGASSAN tells FG

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have condemned the employment situation in the oil and gas sector, especially the kind of jobs being provided by the multinational oil companies in Nigeria.

In a communique issued after their joint National Administrative Council (NAC) and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting under the umbrella of NUPENGASSAN, the unions described employment situation in the oil and gas industry as slave labour.

To this end, NUPENGASSAN called on the Federal Government to change the employment policies and system in the Oil and Gas Industry.

Specifically, NUPENGASSAN charged the government to make it mandatory for every oil and gas company in Nigeria to employ not less than 50 per cent of its employees of middle to junior cadre as direct permanent workers.

Chairperson of NUPENGASSAN Comrade Olabode Johnson, who spoke on the position of the unions, said it has become very imperative for the government to intervene urgently because there are no more direct permanent jobs for the middle level to lower level cadre in almost all multinational oil companies in Nigeria.

This, according to Comrade Olabode has become a bigger challenge of increased violent crimes and suicidal migrations.

On the issue of unemployment and indecent employment, the NUPENGASSAN chairperson said “The Council in Session condemns the high level of unemployment in the country. Even where we have employment, the jobs have become more or less slave labour with no hope for career growth and development.

“In almost all multinational oil companies in Nigeria, there are no more direct permanent jobs for the middle level to lower level cadre, which has now become a bigger challenge of increased violent crimes and suicidal migrations.

“The Council in Session demands that the Government should make positive change to employment policies and system, especially in the Oil and Gas Industry.