Plant operators in Nigeria have demanded a fair employment deal for their members in the ongoing Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, Train 7 project in Rivers State. The National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO) in Port Harcourt also issued a 14-day ultimatum to shut operations at NLNG if better employment deal was not entered with their members. The National President of NAPO, Comrade Harold Benstowe, alleged that an employment process that was inhumane to workers was going on in the firm, adding that the ill was carried out by Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre, BIRC.
Benstowe said that BIRC which was an unlicensed labour supplier set up by Traditional Institution in Bonny was causing an unfriendly employment process. He said that BIRC’s activities were declared illegal by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, calling on the government to monitor their activities to avoided breakdown of law and order. He said the body would embark on industry action if their demand that the employment process be removed from BIRC to Local Content Monitoring Board established by the Local Content Act. Benstowe said “NAPO say no to Plants Operators employment opportunities through the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC) declared as illegal by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that is a federal government regulatory body on employment matters since the year 2015.
“NAPO say the NLNG and her companies participating in the said 10 billion US dollars Train 7 Project must comply with the directive to end human slavery before the end of the 14 Days Ultimatum or be ready to welcome a mass of over 1, 000 Labour Guest of NAPO members and her Labour partners on their facilities both in Bonny and Port Harcourt
Headquarters until our demands to end this inhuman employment policy are completely discarded from their employment policy. “Yes NAPO call for the immediate flushing of the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC) to replace it with the Local Content Monitoring Board established by the Local Content Act. And the Honourable Minister of Petroleum through the honourable Minister of State for Petroleum H.E, Chief Timipre Sylva to act on our complain before his table in NAPO’S letter dated the 25th day of January 2022 and called he management of NLNG to order before the Expiration of the 14 Days ultimatum. “The honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige should understand that there should be an end to arbitration and action taking to protect the Nigerian Construction workers. After exhausting all effort to resolve the issues still pending on his table for action NAPO have decided to take proactive measure to press home our demands.”
