There are fears that the relative peace being enjoyed in the Niger Delta may soon give way to an industrial crisis, especially in the oil and gas sector.
Already, tension is mounting over what has been described as a mass sack of workers by a marine and offshore service contracting company, Lamnalco Nigeria Limited, which is operating in the area.
The sack of hundreds of workers is coming few months after a militant group , Coastal Revolutionary Forces (CRF), threatened to blow up ocean-going vessels belonging to the firm over claims that the company’s management was marginalising its workers who hail from the Niger Delta.
Also, officials of two labour unions, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, had threatened to align with its union members in Lamnalco to cripple the oil and gas sector over the massive retrenchment of workers by the firm.
Lamnalco’s management, it was gathered, had sacked over 30 workers in the last six months, including Capt. James Yangaboi, Victor Urevbu, Benard Amadi, Canbi Opeme, as well as the chairman, secretary and treasurer respectively of Lamnalco branch of NUPENG, Dennis Zifa, Nelson Usilo, thus fuelling more suspicion that the company was out to flush out workers of Niger Delta origin.
“Many of the Niger Deltans who have served for upwards of 15 years, were sacked using alcohol and drugs tests as doctors/laboratory scientists were brought into company boats in a military “cordon and search” manner,” a source at the company who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
“Lamnalco’s vessels are not known to have experienced mishaps arising from drug or alcohol intake by captains and crew members. Most members of staff targeted for sack have rather seen the company grow from five in 1992 to over 28 ocean-going vessels with contracts in the West African sub-region .
“So the drug and alcohol test policy has never been applied in the entire company operations spanning over 21 years in Nigeria .
“Lamnalco’s actions are believed to stem from refusal of the workers to comply with the February 8, 2013 verdict of the National Industrial Court (NIC) Lagos which said Lamnalco workers can only be members of National Seafarers and Collaborating Unions (NSCU), not NUPENG and PENGASAN.”
It was reliably gathered that the actions of the company are part of a plot, not only to sack Niger Delta workers but to deprive them of many benefits contained in the employer-employee Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“The plot allegedly began with the relocation of Lamnalco’s headquarters from Port-Harcourt to Lagos which achieved the twin objectives of easing out office staff that are Ijaw/Niger Delta and to forestall easy protest .
“Following the NIC verdict, Lamnalco has since allegedly declined to pay the five percent automatic increase in salary of senior staff and leave allowance of junior staff as though the judgment represents the final in the legal tussle .
“Lamnalco was also alleged to have refused negotiation when the last CBA expired in May 31, 2013 as well as pay any benefits of the subsisting CBA .
“Can Lamnalco claim to be obeying the rule of law when it is suspending the CBA, sacking of NUPENG/PENGASSAN officials, when there is pending appeal of the NIC verdict? Should the status quo not remain till the outcome of the appeal?”, the source queried.
The Coastal Revolutionary Forces (CRF), a militant group, had in March reportedly warned Lamnalco against planned disengagements without benefits , saying it would strike the company’s ocean-going vessels without further notice should its warning be ignored.
In a strike threat that was later suspended, NUPENG-PENGASSAN also accused Lamnalco of daily threats and intimidation of workers for refusing to change their union/association to the NSCU as demanded by the NIC verdict.
The painstaking implementation of the NIC verdict by Lamnalco in the pendency of an appeal is believed to lend credence to the company’s alleged sponsorship of NSCU with N50million in the suit that culminated in the verdict.
In a reaction to the development , Human Resources Manager of Lamnalco, Ndubuisi Ibegbulam, said the company was not carrying out any retrenchment exercise at the moment . He however said the company has begun dealing with the Seafarers Collaborating Unions and stopped forthwith dealings with NUPENG/PENGASSAN in line with the orders of the NIC.
However, he did not state whether unpaid benefits due staff before the NIC verdict have been paid or would be paid.
Ibegbulam said while being aware of an appeal of the verdict by PENGASSAN, Lamnalco does not see filing appeal as a stay of execution order from a superior court.
Ibegbulam also explained that the drug and alcohol tests being administered by the company is an international policy.
Ibegbulam however dismissed insinuations of terminations based on union membership, saying at the time of the termination of NUPENG Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, there was nothing like NUPENG/PENGASSAN in Lamnalco. He said the terminations were done in line with their contract of service.
Ibegbulam could however not comment on Capt. James Yangaboi whose sack was allegedly effected while on permission by the same company to go for an eye treatment.
