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National President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Comrade Williams Akporeha and his National Administrative Council members (NAC) during a courtesy visit to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru and his management team at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Thursday October 25, 2018. It was also a gathering through which Dr Maikanti inaugurated NNPC's newly-elected Group Executive Council (GEC) members of the NUPENG who will be led in the next four years by Comrade David P. Idache.

7th October 2018 Dr. Chris Ngige Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Federal Secretariat Abuja – FCT A PETITION TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER ON PRECARIOUS WORK SITUATION IN NIGERIA 7^th October is marked worldwide as a day for Decent Work.  Consequently, the National Council of INDUSTRIALL GLOBAL UNION FEDERATION in Nigeria consisting of the following seven Affiliates: National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN); National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber and Non-Metallic Product Employees (NUCFRLANMPE; National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE); Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers(NUPENG); Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria(SEWUN); Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association(PENGASSAN); Chemical and Non-metallic  Product Senior Staff Association (CANMPSSAN); and AUTOBATE  join the global force of over 50 million members taking action against all forms of precarious work. Precarious work refers to work relationship with no distinct terms of employment such as the letter of employment stating the terms and conditions of employment.  Precarious workers are indirect employees who are hired, supervised and remunerated by a contractor who in turn is compensated by the Company. Thus Industrial relations practice is virtually absent in the environment of precarious work since trade unions are not allowed to organise workers. Workers are not allowed to have representation or interface with the Principal or the Contractor {Hiring Party} who most times has no identifiable address or formal structure to facilitate Industrial relations. This development is great assault on the welfare and dignity of Workers and it has negative consequences for the union as well. The effects on workers and trade unions are quite obvious and include some of the following:

• Lack of employment contract
• Lack of job security
• Long hours of work beyond statutory 8 hours
• Non Payment of overtime
• Low and uncertain wages
• Poor working conditions
• Non-payment of pension contribution etc
• Denial of workers right to join the union and bargain collectively among others

Precarious Work has led to increasing erosion of basic workers rights such as freedom of association and collective bargaining.  The use of temporary/casual workers has led to depletion in the membership and capacity to organize in all sectors that include oil and gas, chemical and non-metallic, steel and engineering, electricity and textile. In the Steel and Engineering sector there has been denial of recognition for the union in Standard Metallurgical Industries limited, Mikano Nigeria Limited and Iron Products Industy Limited (IPI ltd) all in a bid to continue to perpetuate unfair labour practices rendering more than a thousand employees as casuals and contract workers. In the Oil and Gas sector, NUPENG and PENGASSAN have embarked on perennial campaigns and struggle to get SHELL, CHEVRON and other International Oil Companies operate in accordance with our labour laws and international labour standards.  These include refusal to allow unionization of contract staff, fragmentation of contract to frustrate the efforts of the union in organising precarious workers and pressurizing workers to sign pre-engagement undertaking for non-membership of the union. Recently, the NUPENGASSAN expressed worries and concerns with the manner Chevron’s management was executing the end of M-15 and H-15 contacts ending by October 31, 2018 which was laced with hidden plans and intention to unilaterally sack thousands of contract workers despite the ongoing intervention by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as well as the established Labour Contract Staffing Guidelines in the oil and gas industry. In the Chemical and Non-Metallic sector, several Industries are denying the union the right to organise. These include CDK Industries, Sagamu, Emzor pharmaceuticals, Fine Coats, Orange Drugs Pharmaceuticals, Fidson Pharmaceuticals and Dangote Cement Factories among others. In particular, the unions frowned at the biased role of the Ministry’s Official in the handling of the redundancy exercise in Swiss Pharmaceuticals and in condoning the Executive lawlessness of Mr Gaby Elichoury, the Managing Director. In the power sector, our affiliate NUEE is battling entrenched tradition of precarious since privatization of PHCN. Egbin power Plc leads the assault on Workers rights perennially denying workers the right to join the union. Egbin power plant is involved in the militarization of the workplace by deployment of soldiers to harass and intimidate especially those interested in union membership. It is regrettable that after more than four years of operation, the giant power generation unit is yet to negotiate and put in place conditions of service based on collective bargaining. Similarly Electricity distribution Companies (DISCOS) in Enugu, Ikeja and Benin refused to sign and implement conditions of service for workers negotiated over four years now. Both generation and distribution companies engage in arbitrary lay-off of workers without laid down procedure. Further, it is unacceptable that the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and Nigeria Industrial Court (NIC) will deliver judgements and employers will disregard such judgements.  A  typical example is the case of SINO PP Woven Sack in Kano where the Textile Union has strived since 2003 to organize the workers.  As at today, the Chinese employer is yet to respect the judgement of the apex court of Nigeria, the National Industrial Court (NIC). Under section 40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 9 (6a) and 9(6b) of the Labour Act Cap 198 Laws of the Federation 1990, Nigeria workers have unfettered rights to associate and join the union.  We stand on a solid premise knowing that we have protective legislations that guarantee basic employment and trade union rights. We are also assured of the enormous protection that comes from Nigeria’s ratification of conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO on the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We therefore demand immediate end to all forms of employment that offend human dignity and deny workers access to living wages, social protection and denial of the right to join the union. We ask employers of labour to respect the law and where the law is observed in breach, the ministry of labour and other agencies of Government should enforce the law. Finally, we demand that the Federal Ministry of Labour under the leadership of Dr Chris Ngige stand up and renew its commitment and will to further enhance its monitoring duties and ensure that every employer complies with the provisions of our labour laws. Please be assured of our esteemed regards as we look forward to fundamental changes in the operations of the Ministry and improved inspection, monitoring and enforcement of our labour laws. Olatunji B.G                                                                         Ismail Bello Chairman                                                                              Secretary

PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED ON THE OCCASION OF THE WORLD DECENT DAY MARKED BY NIGERIA NATIONAL COUNCIL OF INDUSTRIALL GLOBAL UNION FEDERATION ON TUESDAY 9^TH OCTOBER, 2018 October 7 is observed worldwide as Decent Work Day. The occasion is used by Industrial Global Union Federation to mobilize its Affiliates to take action to stop precarious work in our workplaces. In Nigeria, IndustriALL affiliates  including National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber and Non-Metallic Product Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers(NUPENG), Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria(SEWUN), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association(PENGASSAN), Chemical and Non-metallic  Product Senior Staff Association (CANMPSSAN) and AUTOBATE  join the global force of over 50 million members taking action against all forms of precarious work. According to the ILO, Decent work involves opportunity for work  that is productive and delivers a fair income, Security in the workplace and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns and organize for the purpose of collective bargaining and social Dialogue, equal opportunity for all men and women. But there is a huge gap between these ideals and our reality in our different sectors. In Nigeria, companies are replacing their full time workforce with temporary, casual, outsourced and contract workers at frightening rate. In the oil and Gas, Manufacturing and Energy sectors where our Affiliates operate, employers now hide behind what they call the “core” value of their business to casualise over 70 per cent of their work force through outsourcing and contract employment. Casual, Outsourced and Contract Workers are not protected and are exposed to all kind of abuses, unfair and unjust practices some of which include the following

• Long or unspecified hours of work
• Low wages
• Denial or short payment of overtime
• Denial of sick leave and payment of sick leave and denial of annual leave and maternity leave
• Job insecurity, lack of redundancy benefits
• Poor health and safety conditions
• Non-payment of compensation for injuries sustained at work
• Arbitrary deductions and non-remittance of pension contributions and taxes
• Denial of workers right to join the union and bargain collectively among others

Precarious Work has led to increasing erosion of basic workers rights such as freedom of association and collective bargaining.  The use of temporary/casual workers has led to depletion in the membership and capacity to organize in all sectors that include oil and gas, chemical and non-metallic, steel and engineering, electricity and textile.   In the Steel and Engineering sector there has been denial of recognition for the union in Standard Metallurgical Industries limited, Mikano Nigeria Limited and Iron Products Industy Limited (IPI ltd) all in a bid to continue to perpetuate unfair labour practices rendering more than a thousand employees as casuals and contract workers.   In the Oil and Gas sector, NUPENG and PENGASSAN have embarked on perennial campaigns and struggle to get SHELL, CHEVRON and other International Oil Companies operate in accordance with our labour laws and international labour standards. For instance, while Chevron had decided to close M-15 and H-15 contracts by October 31, 2018, NUPENGASSAN  found it disturbing to see the new Contractors being engaged by Chevron’s management and whose labour contract will take effect on November 1, 2018 to start advertising all jobs despite clear provisionfor ‘roll over’ of existing workers on the jobs , consequent upon which a large number of the current workforce are most likely to be abruptly thrown into the unemployment market in their own Country. The Unions expressed worries and concerns with the manner Chevron’s management was executing the end of M-15 and H-15 contacts ending by October 31 , 2018 which was laced with hidden plans and intention to unilaterally sack thousands of contract workers despite the ongoing intervention by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as well as the established Labour Contract Staffing Guidelines in the oil and gas industry.   In the Chemical and Non-Metallic sector, several Industries are denying the union the right to organise. These include CDK Industries, Sagamu, Emzor pharmaceuticals, Fine Coats, Orange Drugs Pharmaceuticals, Fidson Pharmaceuticals and dangote cement Factories among others. In particular, the unions frowned at the biased role of the Ministry’s Official in the handling of the redundancy exercise in Swiss Pharmaceuticals and in condoning the Executive lawlessness of Mr Gaby Elichoury, the Managing Director.   In the power sector, our affiliate NUEE is battling entrenched tradition of precarious work since privatization of PHCN. Egbin power Plc leads the assault on workers’ rights perennially denying workers the right to join the union. Egbin power plant is involved in the militarization of the workplace by deployment of soldiers to harass and intimidate especially those interested in union membership. It is regrettable that after more than four years of operation, the giant power generation unit is yet to negotiate and put in place conditions of service based on collective bargaining. Similarly Electricity distribution Companies (DISCOS) in Enugu, Ikeja and Benin refused to sign and implement conditions of service for workers negotiated over four years now. Both generation and distribution companies engage in arbitrary lay-off of workers without laid down procedure.   Further, it is unacceptable that the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and Nigeria Industrial Court  (NIC) will deliver judgements and employers will disregard such judgements.  A  typical example is the case of SINO PP Woven Sack in Kano where the Textile Union has strived since 2003 to organize the workers.  As at today, the Chinese employer is yet to respect the judgement of the apex court of Nigeria, the National Industrial Court (NIC).   Under section 40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 9 (6a) and 9(6b) of the Labour Act Cap 198 Laws of the Federation 1990, Nigeria workers have unfettered rights to associate and join the union. It is also an essential part of the ILO’S fundamental principles and rights at work that workers shall be free to exercise the right to freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining as contained in conventions 87 and 98 and Nigeria is signatory to these conventions. We therefore demand immediate end to all forms of employment that offend human dignity and deny workers access to living wages, social protection and denial of the right to join the union. We ask employers of labour to respect the law and where the law is observed in breach, the ministry of labour and other agencies of Government should enforce the law. Finally, we demand that the Federal Ministry of Labour under the leadership of Dr Chris Ngige stand up and renews its commitment and will to further enhance its monitoring duties and ensure that every employer complies with the provisions of our labour laws.   Aluta Continua.   OLATUNJI B.G                                                         ISMAIL BELLO CHAIRMAN                                                              SECRETARY

Precarious work destroying workers’ lives in Nigerian oil and gas industry Contract work and casualization of the oil and gas industry is having a dire impact on trade unions and the lives of workers in Nigeria, according to IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliates in African’s largest oil producing country. Some 25 representatives from IndustriALL affiliates, the National Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) met in the southern city of Port Harcourt for an oil and gas workshop on 19 and 20 September 2018. Testimonials from members of NUPENG, which represents blue-collar workers, and PENGASSAN, which represents white collar workers, revealed the extent to which precarious work in the sector is undermining unions and leading to a vicious cycle of poverty. Participants worked across a range of companies including: Total, Shell, Indorama, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Plant Geria and Halliburton. All NUPENG’s members are contract workers, while PENGASSAN reported that jobs that were once permanent are now being casualized, even though the work remains the same. Participants reported that in some cases workers are made redundant and then immediately being rehired for the same job with no medical insurance, life insurance or redundancy benefits. The gulf between working conditions experienced by permanent staff and contract workers in the industry is huge, said participants and unions agreed that more should be done to close the gap. A contract worker could earn around US$280 a month for doing the same job as a permanent worker earning around US$2,000, or even more. Furthermore, precarious work is being used by the oil companies to destroy unions. Contract workers often find they are unlikely to get rehired once they join a union, while white-collar workers find do not have the same access to training or promotion opportunities if they are union members. Unions also said Nigerian workers do not have the same training opportunities as foreign workers, and that expatriates are being used to do jobs that could easily be done by Nigerian workers. Stagnant wages are another major problem, with NUPENG saying that wages have not increased since 2014, and in some cases longer. Health and safety is an ongoing issue and unions agreed that workers need to be better educated about the rights, especially when it came to health and safety.  Industry 4.0 is affecting the industry - an accountant from PENGASSAN said that part of his role had been taken over by a robot at his company. Automation is also being used to do jobs in the lubricant sector, such as labelling and filling cans. Vassey Lartson, a Shell Lab Technician and union representative, who attended the workshop on behalf of the United Steelworkers (USA), told participants he was shocked by the wage disparity between Shell workers in the USA and those in Nigeria. Vassey joined a visit to meet workers at a Shell facility in Port Harcourt the day before the workshop, which included a visit to workers’ impoverished homes. The meeting also included a reportfrom Charles Egwabor, a lawyer from Port Harcourt, who said high unemployment in Nigeria made it easier to casualize the labour market, which in turn further increases poverty in the country. IndustriALL’s director for energy, Diana Junquera Curiel, said: “This workshop has been truly valuable in hearing the problems and challenges facing unions in Nigeria first-hand. We commend our affiliates in their battle to fight precarious work as well as the other challenges in the industry, and we stand by to support them as they campaign for decent work in the oil and gas sector.”

The Group Managing Director (GMD), NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, has urged oil workers to halt their planned strike over a labour dispute involving Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) management and the staff. The unions are National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). Baru made the appeal in a statement by NNPC’s Group Public Affairs Manager, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja on Sunday. The GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, said he had directed the management to work with other stakeholders to resolve the issues raised by the leadership of the unions. He appealed to the unions not to do anything that would disrupt the industrial harmony that had pervaded the sector. The group managing director expressed fears that the gains of the recent past in the sector, if care was not taken, could be frittered away inadvertently. He however expressed optimism that the current dispute would be settled amicably. It would be recalled that the unions had recently called on the National Assembly to intervene in the brewing impasse between CNL and its staff in Nigeria. The unions further urged the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the NNPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) to also intervene. The disagreements borders on the Chevron’s disclosure that the contracts with all its manpower services providers would expire by the end of October, 2018. Consequently, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, last week Wednesday, put their members on red alert. Meanwhile, the NNPC has allayed concerns of petroleum product consumers over possible hiccups in supply in parts of the country due to the workers’ ultimatum. It gave the assurance that the corporation had adequate storage of petroleum products across the country to take care of the national demand.