FG to Reinstate Sacked NNPC Workers in Imo State

Federal Government has promised not to cut down the number of employees of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. This is coming after the threat by labour unions to storm Imo state today for a mass action if the state government fails to reinstate the workers that it recently sacked.

The Federal Government however stated that instead of reducing the number of workers at the NNPC, it would expand the operations of the national oil firm in order to make it globally competitive.

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the National President, NUPENG, and Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Achese Igwe, said some concessions were reached at the meeting.

Igwe said, “We are going to vehemently resist any attempt to sack workers. We have advised service companies and multinational firms that are in the act of outsourcing and contracting that this will portend the loss of jobs for Nigerians. We say no to them because that is not what this government is all about.

“The government today talks about job creation and not job losses. With the current economic challenge we are having in our country, we need not to lose jobs that are already created.”

“We have said clearly and I am speaking as the NUPENGASSAN chairman today, that any attempt to cause job losses in the oil and gas sector, especially at the NNPC, we will definitely react. We will resist it accordingly and we will do it within the framework of what labour unions are known for.”

He said an ultimatum, which elapses today had been given to the state government to reinstate the sacked workers, adding that failure to comply would result in mass action by labour unions.