The intimidating Lagos headquarters of U.S. oil major, ExxonMobil was Thursday shut, following a standoff with blue-collar oil unions over the sacking of 150 ExxonMobil workers.
Yesterday morning, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria PENGASAN barricaded the office, protesting the sacking of Nigerian workers.
Earlier Wednesday, similar action had taken place in Upkenekang Community in Akwa Ibom, where angry youths disrupted the operations of the company over the sacking of contract workers from the area.
It was not clear why the oil major is technically displaying moves that suggest frustration in the industry at a time; its former boss is warming up for the job of US Secretary of States under the emerging presidency of Donald Trump.
At Akwa Ibom, Business Hilights gathered that the protesters, numbering over 1,000, barricaded entry points to the company with boats, coffins, leaves and placards, having different inscriptions.
While confirming the closure of the company’s Lagos office, Chairman of the ExxonMobil Branch of PENGASAN, Paul Eboigbe, said the management of the company issued sack letters to worker, while negotiations were still going on.
But in a swift response, the Manager, Media and Communications of ExxonMobil, Oge Udeagha, said the company was always evaluating its operations, stressing that “We invest for the long-term and focus on maintaining a stable, well-developed workforce and are committed to treating our employees with respect in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
He argued that this is a limited programme that will impact a relatively small fraction of employees, noting that “Special benefits specifically introduced for this purpose will be paid to affected employees, consistent with existing labour agreements”.
