Against the backdrop of the intractable industrial crisis that rocked the Train 7 project of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in the last quarter of 2022, the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, King Edward I has moved to engage relevant stakeholders to resolve the crisis.
In reaction to this move, the Labour Community has also proposed what they deem to be appropriate next steps to achieve the best outcomes from the process.
Addressing guests at the 2022 King Perekule Annual Banquet on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at the King Perekule Palace, Bonny, His Majesty, King Dr Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, CON, JP, DSSRS, Perekule XI, acknowledged the existentiality of teething issues relating to the delivery of the Train 7 project and called on relevant stakeholders to leverage the first days of 2023 to kick start the resolution process.
“The workers, labour agreement has to be addressed and addressed properly. So, the client and contractors will have to meet because I am aware that we have serious issues, which I would describe it ‘an uneasy calm’; that is what we have on site.”
The Bonny Kingdom Monarch, who asserted that disruptions to the Train 7 project was inimical to all interests represented, urged the labour unions, contractors and the client, NLNG to work together to fashion out an amicable solution to the issues giving verve to the crisis so that work can resume uninterrupted and workers earning legitimate income.
“We need to address and address it properly because I know that quite a lot has to be looked at. So, early in the year we would see that all that happened is taken into account so that our workers can work freely and we ensure that there won’t be any disruptions because disruptions would not also help us.”
“I want to know that work is going on as planned not that every now and then I am being called upon to ask what is going; ‘I hear that they have stopped work again’; ‘Oh they are planning to stop work’. We don’t want to hear those kind of things any more. Work should go on uninterruptedly.”
“I believe that whatever needs to be looked into, we need to look at them as quickly as we can early in the year.”
Reacting to the Amanyanabo’s statement, President General of the National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO), Harold Benstowe stressed the need for a broadbased stakeholder engagement focused on addressing the underlying issues to achieve an amicable resolution of the industrial crisis.
“It is important that all the major stakeholders in the ongoing struggle are invited for a roundtable discussion that includes the Nigeria LNG, ExxonMobil, SPDC, their major contractors, Bonny LGA Chairman, Amanyanabo-in-Council and the Workers Unions, NAPO, FISSAN and others recognised.”
“There are so many issues that are the underlying factors creating and blowing up the embers of crisis that may snowball to a full blown state of anarchy.”
He enumerated some of the underlying factors as improper formation of an employment centre and lack of rules to guide its operation, undue interference in the employment centre by labour supply contractors, lack of transparency in the negotiation process and management of employment opportunities, non-separation of negotiation of workers’ benefits from community rights, and emasculation of workers’ right to choice of trade union to discuss their welfare.
On his part, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bonny Branch, Chris Brown called for a review of the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the Train 7 project, disclosing that those who negotiated the PLA were incompetent to do so thus the unfavourable outcome that has sparked crisis at the project site.
“The (PLA) agreement as we have in the T7 was done in a hurry with people who are inexperienced and as such does not capture the present day reality.
“At a time when even in the Civil Service everyone is suffering inflation and high cost of living, we have a situation where people without experience went to negotiation for the T7 and took the Kingdom back to 2015 Labour Agreement.”
“90% of the workers working in the T7 do not like the working conditions they are forced to work under, but one thing is sure; one day Nigerian workers will rise up and say enough is enough.”
Brown advised that an interface committee should be set up by the Amanyanabo populated by past union leaders who are known for integrity, versatile in collective bargaining and possessing good negotiation skills to interface between the workers and the companies.
“So, for me, if the kingdom must get involved, it can set up a committee from past Union leaders – people with sincerity first, people who have negotiations skills, and people who understand labour matters – to interface with unions of the different companies.”
“They should also make themselves available to witness proper negotiations done by the unions. The committee would be like a watchdog to the practice of these present workers’ union leaders as we have it at the moment. Secondly, each company must and should be allowed to have their own workers union leadership.”
It would be recalled that workers of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN) on the Train project had embarked on an industrial action to protest alleged illegal deductions from their salaries and alleged refusal of the company management to allow them choose a union of their choice.
A stalemate resulting from the refusal of the DECN management to dialogue with NAPO, which was advanced by the workers as representing them and the concomitant refusal of the workers to end their industrial action led to the shutdown of the DECN section of the Train 7 site.
The project site was reopened less than 48 hours later when the Bonny Chamber of Commerce and Industry protested the decision, claiming it had negative impact on the businesses of its members.
Concerned watchers of the developing situation have hailed the intervention of the Bonny Monarch on the issue, asserting that the move would serve to rectify outstanding problems at the project site and return normalcy to the project site.
A very good one, as a way bringing peace, they have introduce and institute court case the workers union NAPO, if the matters are not quickly addressed more court cases shall be institute against T7 and Daewoo