Sacked Mobil workers in Akwa Ibom demand N11.4 billion compensation; Appeal to Gov. Emmanuel to Save their Souls
Dennis Udoma
Sacked Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, MPNU, workers in Akwa Ibom state have demanded the payment of N11.4 billion Naira compensation as their terminal benefits.
The affected workers numbering 1,444 were engaged as service contract staff by MPN and later laid off in 2012 without commensurate entitlements as contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) allegedly entered into by Mobil and the affected workers.
Addressing newsmen in Eket Tuesday, spokesman for the group, Mr. Godwin Idim disclosed that, MPNU has reneged on its contractual agreement with the ex-workers in spite of all entreaties to get the company to honour the deal.
He lamented that, some of their members have died in the cause of the struggle to get MPN on the negotiation table in order to remit the outstanding financial claims.
According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), dated July 1, 2010 and jointly signed by the former Field Manager, Human Resources of MPNU, Mr. Seun Oluwole, Assistant Secretary of NUPENG, Mr. G. A. B. Tasker, Chairman, Labour Contract, Mr. Ikohesa O. Ikohesa, Chairman, Service Contract, Mr. Aniedi Douglas and witnessed by Mr. Victor Bassey, Mr. Godwin Udokop as well as Jephter Jonathan, which was made available to newsmen, clause 52 (c) stated inter alia that:
“Gratuity-1.5 month’s gross salary per year served multiplies by the number of years of service. In addition, the employee shall earn all his or her accrued vacation benefits and any other allowance that may accrue to him or her.
“Notice pay-One month gross salary in lieu of notice.
“Ex-gratia-two month’s gross salary, pension and redundancy benefits in addition to end of service benefits shall apply”.
Mr. Idim however warned of the consequences that failure to pay the former workers would bring to the company, in view of the security volatility of the Niger-Delta region in recent times, and called on the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel to wade in to save their souls.
Counsel to the disengaged workers, Mr. Jacob B. Udobang and Associates, Abuja, in a letter had reminded MPN of the need to settle with the workers since the existing labour law (CBA) it signed with NUPENG and service contract staff on end of service on July 1, 2010 subsists.
Clause 52 (b) of the CBA on end of service benefits, he stated, provides that:
“Where either party exercises the right as defined in (a) above, End of Service Benefits shall apply. End of Service shall mean; the total period an employee has been deployed to work for the client company by any of the forum members. Service may come to an end by resignation, death, termination, end of contract, redundancy, dismissal or retirement.
According to him, the combined effect of the above in relation to the different salary scales applicable to our clients in different categories to wit; between 1-5 years, 6-10, 11-20, 21-30 years and the computation based on the CBA amount in totality to N11, 400,000,000.00 expressing the shock that, retrenched contract staffers in other locations of Mobil outside Akwa Ibom State had been paid their correct terminal benefits and entitlements in line with this same CBA.
Barrister Udobang however expressed wariness noting that, majority of the affected workers were from the oil producing communities of Akwa Ibom and urged MPN to pay the disengaged workers their correct benefits and entitlements in line with the CBA without delay.
Contrary to the ex-workers’ appeal, Mobil in a letter dated February 25, 2013 and signed by Mr. Justin Ezeala, denied it had any obligation whether directly or indirectly for payment of terminal benefits and entitlements to the disengaged workers.
“We are not aware of any Labour Contract Collective Bargaining Agreement dated July 1, 2010 or any other date, signed between MPN and representatives of your client. We are not also aware of any meeting on January 21, 2008 or any other date wherein MPN management agreed with representatives of your client on the terms of the said CBA”, the letter explained.
