Members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria in Chevron Nigeria Limited have been ordered to down tools to commence a total shutdown of the company’s operations over the sack of Nigerian employees. 

It was gathered that at least 2,000 of their staff members were reportedly sacked.

 According to Punch, in a statement jointly signed by the President of NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha and his PENGASSAN counterpart, Mr Festus Osifo, the unions said, “Chevron management was using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to ease out Nigerian workers from the company while it continued to engage expatriates to do jobs that Nigerians were qualified to perform.” 

The unions said it gathered that Chevron management notified about 2,000 of its employees last Thursday that their services were no longer required and that those still interested in working with them could apply afresh. 

“We are against this imperialist agenda. We are going to check this manipulation. We have directed our members in Chevron to withdraw their services and call on the Federal Government to call Chevron management to order otherwise we can no longer guarantee industrial peace in the oil and gas sector,” it said. 

Chevron Nigeria Limited said on Friday that it would slash its workforce by 25 per cent as it is reviewing its manpower requirements in the light of the changing business environment. 

“This development runs contrary to Nigeria’s laws regulating the Oil and Gas industry as it does not protect our national interest.“This is an imperialist agenda that must not be allowed to stay; most especially as we have just finished celebrating our 60th independence as a sovereign country,” the duo said.