Official Statement by the Nigeria LNG Limited on the Industrial Dispute Between the Nigeria LNG Limited and the Groups of Service Contractors in Rivers State, Nigeria
A strike action was embarked upon on Monday, November 12, 2007, by some workers of some of the contractors providing services to NLNG at Bonny. This action has been at the instance of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) officials seeking to unionize staff of these companies. In doing this, they have taken illegal actions, such as blockading the access to the plant, and at various times also blockaded the access to the Residential Areas (RAs), thus preventing staff, their families, as well as members of the communities and the public from gaining access to either the RAs or to the plant for their legitimate businesses.
As far as we can establish, NUPENG, and the workers are predicating this illegal act on a false claim that NLNG is preventing them from unionizing under NUPENG. As a responsible and law abiding organization, NLNG requires our contractors to obey the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including laws allowing the unionization of workers in the country.
Consultations are still ongoing in this regard between management of the contractor companies and representatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of NUPENG, under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Labour.
The following stakeholders have been informed of this development:
Palace of HRH, Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom
Rivers State Government
Commissioner, Rivers State Police Command
SSS Director, Rivers State
SSS OC, Bonny Island
Chairman, Bonny Kingdom Council of Chiefs
Chairman, Bonny LG Caretaker Committe
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour
Director of Labour, Ministry of Labour
Deputy Director of Labour, (Industrial Relations) Federal Ministry of Labour
Nigeria LNG has also expressed willingness to support peaceful resolution of the matter between the affected parties.
