Workers of Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited under the umbrella of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, commenced indefinite strike on Monday over alleged impunity by the management of the company.
According to reports, the striking workers locked out the Senior Vice President/Chief Executive of the company, Mr. Colin Klappa, when he arrived 32, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos office of the company to resume work on Monday morning.
Reports also indicated that the Senior Vice President was forced to meet with management staff outside the premises of the company as all entrance to the premises were also put under lock and key by protesting workers.
The company, which produces 30,000 barrels of oil from its offshore and onshore locations in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Warri, and Izombe in the Niger Delta, will experience hitch in production until the end of the workers’ strike.
The chairman local chapter of PENGASSAN, Chris Ogiewonyi, said workers resorted to the indefinite strike as a result of failed and inconclusive communications between the union and management over alleged “culture of impunity against some of its officials.”
Mr. Agwu said the decision to embark on the strike followed the expiration of the ultimatum that the Association issued to Mr. Klappa led management team over the unresolved issues.
“The issues were reiterated by the Zonal Council of the Union on March 28, 2018. We notified management of the complete withdrawal of services of members effective 06.00hrs on Monday, April 16, 2018, for an indefinite time period. It is high time the culture of contempt and disdain for the association was stopped,” Mr. Agwu said.
Efforts to reach the management of the company proved abortive.
When the company’s General Manager, External & Government Affairs, Dorothy Atake, was contacted for official reaction to the workers’ strike, she denied her identity; even after the true caller application confirmed her name.