Oil Workers Criticise Oshiomhole Over ‘Anti-Worker Stance’

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has sharply rebuked erstwhile President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, for his caller comments regarding the quality betwixt the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and the absorption of Dangote Refinery.

Speaking past Friday connected Arise TV, the erstwhile NLC President expressed disapproval of PENGASSAN’s concern enactment successful effect to its disagreements with Dangote Refinery, which led to a nationwide shutdown of lipid facilities. The lawmaker characterised the onslaught arsenic rash and unfair to different workers. Oshiomhole acknowledged that unions tin advocator for workers, but their actions indispensable not pb to broader economical difficulties.

“I judge that successful seeking to support a peculiar radical of workers, 1 should not jeopardise the jobs of galore others. When engaging successful a dispute, the strategies employed indispensable not undermine the employment of others.”

In a connection signed by Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary of NUPENG, respectively, they expressed their disappointment successful Senator Oshiomhole’s remarks, labelling them a betrayal of Labour principles and a distortion of established laws.

“We observe with utter disappointment a erstwhile labour person who has present go a vocal advocator for firm oppression, actively campaigning against the precise rights helium erstwhile defended.

His attempts to warrant the victimisation of workers for exercising their cardinal rights of relation and peaceful protestation are not lone repugnant but besides correspond a blatant misrepresentation of Nigerian Labour Law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions.”

In the connection titled “Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s Undistinguished Anti-Worker Vitriol,” NUPENG’s enactment accused Senator Oshiomhole of betraying the origin of Nigerian workers by ignoring the dismissal of implicit 800 employees portion choosing to criticise PENGASSAN’s method of shutting down lipid stations.

“Adams Oshiomhole’s disapproval of PENGASSAN’s onslaught is an enactment of profound humanities revisionism and governmental amnesia.”

“Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN 2004, legally recognised commercialized disputes, including concern actions taken by workers successful solidarity with different group. Therefore, PENGASSAN’s solidarity with its members astatine Dangote Refinery is legally protected.
The rule that ‘an wounded to 1 is an wounded to all’ is the planetary foundational ethic of commercialized unionism.

“For immoderate undistinguished Senators to find this rule inconvenient lone reveals a trading of erstwhile avowed people consciousness for a presumption among the oppressors. Senator Oshiomhole’s alarmist rhetoric astir ‘harming the wider economy’ is the aforesaid bushed statement utilized by each anti-labour entity helium erstwhile fought against. It was a valid maneuver erstwhile helium led galore strikes arsenic NLC President; it remains valid today.

“Shockingly, this antheral has served aggregate times connected the Governing Council of the ILO and connected the Committee connected Application of Standards, which deals with reports connected violations of workers’ rights worldwide. Unfortunately, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has demonstrated a monumental ignorance of commercialized unionism done his comments.

The unity displayed by PENGASSAN members and the solidarity they person received (and proceed to receive) from different unions nationally and internationally are the duplicate pillars upon which the labour question is built.”

While insisting that the erstwhile NLC President’s stance amounts to a betrayal of Nigerian workers, NUPENG declared that it would nary longer enactment successful immoderate Labour events featuring Senator Oshiomhole.

“In conclusion, the enactment of NUPENG hereby declares Senator Adams Oshiomhole persona non grata wrong the ranks of Nigerian Oil and Gas Workers for his undistinguished denunciation of the PENGASSAN onslaught against the unjustifiable dismissal of 800 engineers arsenic punishment for exercising their cardinal close to unionise.

“The applicable accusation of our declaring Senator Oshiomhole persona non grata wrong the ranks of lipid and state workers successful Nigeria is that henceforth, we volition not enactment successful oregon lend legitimacy to immoderate lawsuit featuring Senator Oshiomhole. The NLC, TUC, and conscientious civilian nine organisations should instrumentality note.

“Oshiomhole’s denunciation and insensitivity to the plight of 800 engineers, arsenic good arsenic his absorption to unionism successful the petroleum and state sector, is simply a unsafe toxin designed to weaken the resoluteness of the moving people and fortify the people enemy. NUPENG stands resolutely with PENGASSAN and the implicit 800 unjustly dismissed workers. To unafraid ...