Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A major labour union in the oil and gas sector on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the premises on General Electric (GE) office in Lagos.
The union, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), accused the firm of high handedness.
It said despite the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige, General Electric was yet to honour the agreement reached at a meeting in Abuja.
PENGASSAN said General Electric has failed to pay some workers ARCO Group, its servicing subsidiary, as it promised the Minister during the meeting.
The union said due to this, it had to picket office of the company located on Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking with newsmen, Lagos Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN, Mr Abel Agarin, stated that, “ARCO Group Ltd. is our member and a servicing company to General Electric.
“The job was carried out from 2006 in Niger Delta. It is global gas maintenance in OBOB/Kwale/CHA.
“The electricity company owed about 50 workers for about one year and later paid some months.
“The remaining five months’ salaries are what we are demanding.”
However, despite the protest, no members of General Electric management team addressed the protesters.
They were also no available for comments as at the time of filing this report.
But Mr Agarin has vowed to continue with the protest along with others until the company paid the affected workers.
