Financial Energy Review
…….by Ben Ndubuwa……
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has vowed to escalate its industrial action into a nationwide strike if the management of Sterling Oil and Gas Company fails to meet its demands regarding the alleged unfair labor practices and exclusion of Nigerian workers from key operational roles.
Speaking at a rally and picketing event in Lagos, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, accused the company of sidelining Nigerian workers in favor of expatriates, particularly Indians, in violation of Nigerian labor laws. Osifo declared that PENGASSAN would not relent until Sterling Oil provides transparency on its employment practices and ensures fair treatment of local employees.
“We started this struggle yesterday, and since then, the management of Sterling Oil has been reaching out. But we know them too well. We know their deceptive tactics,” Osifo said.
According to him, Sterling Oil attempted to arrange a clandestine meeting which PENGASSAN rejected. “Any meeting that must be held must be in broad daylight, with regulators and industry partners present,” he insisted.
Shutdown of Loading Operations
Osifo revealed that the union had already taken decisive action by withdrawing its members from the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) at Sterling Oil’s loading terminal, effectively halting operations.
“There is no loading happening at Sterling Oil’s terminal as we speak. They reached out last night, asking us to de-escalate so we could meet next week, but we refused. This action will continue until we have that meeting,” he said.
The PENGASSAN President emphasized that the union’s key demands include a review of the employment structure at Sterling Oil, particularly regarding the ratio of Nigerian to expatriate workers in critical operations.
“They must tell us how many Nigerians are panel operators, how many are in core operations, and how many expatriates are employed. We will compare this data with the employment templates from other international oil companies (IOCs) such as TotalEnergies, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell,” he stated.
Allegations of Worker Exploitation
Osifo further accused Sterling Oil of systematically subjugating Nigerian workers through exploitative contract terms and the denial of their right to unionize.
“They have introduced a ‘common power contract’ that enslaves Nigerian workers by paying them peanuts and prohibiting them from joining unions. This is a blatant violation of the Trade Union Act and Nigerian labor laws,” he declared.
He called on the Nigerian government to intervene, arguing that enforcing labor laws and ensuring job opportunities for Nigerian citizens is a national responsibility.
“The government must defend its citizens and provide jobs for them. If we send approximately 10,000 expatriates packing, who will they employ? Nigerians! And who will take credit for it? The Nigerian government,” Osifo asserted.
Call for Government Action & Nationwide Protest Threat
PENGASSAN warned that failure to address the union’s concerns could lead to a full-scale nationwide industrial action.
“If they don’t do the needful, if government agencies fail in their responsibilities, we will escalate this into a national industrial action,” Osifo warned.
He urged investigative journalists to independently verify the presence of a disproportionately high number of expatriates at Sterling Oil’s facilities.
“Come to this area in the evening, and you will see hundreds of Indians living around here. Do it on your own, don’t just take our word for it,” he charged.
Osifo reiterated that the fight is about fairness and justice for Nigerian workers in the oil and gas sector.
“We will not back down until Sterling Oil reduces its expatriate workforce to match industry standards. This struggle is not just about Sterling Oil; it is about setting a precedent for fair labor practices across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry,” he said.
As the rally continued, PENGASSAN members chanted slogans demanding justice, vowing to sustain the pressure until their demands are met.
