The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has condemned the lndorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company’s management for ceded the same workers of the company to two unions, saying that such action could lead to unrest.
In a statement, NUPENG said the inauguration of the Branch of the Union was done accordingly in December last year and Management in line with the agreement, extended recognition to these workers as members of NUPENG.
“Suddenly in a very bizarre manner, precisely on the 16th of December 2022, we received notice of court action from another Union challenging the unionization exercise, claiming that the management of lndorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company, had invited the Union in same December 2022 and ceded these same set of Workers to them.
NUPENG leadership noted that for several years until middle of last year, several workers working in the Petrochemical plant have been working under very indecent and precarious conditions of Labour/ Service contracts with strict denial to join the Trade Union of their choice.
“After several years of struggles which finally culminated in Union/Management meeting at leadership levels held in Lagos in November last year, an agreement was reached to allow these workers to be organized into the Union and recognition extended to them by management. Unlawfully setting one Union against another in their unscrupulous pursuit of perpetually enslaving Nigerians working for them. This without doubt is dubious, illegal and highly provocative”
“The government and good people of Rivers State should urgently advise the management of lndorama Eleme Petrochemical Company to toe the line of decency and global best practices in lndustrial Relations before the matter gets out of control”
