Former employees of Mobil Producing Nigeria have called on the management of the company to effect the payment of N11.4bn owed them as their terminal benefits.
According to reports, the over 1,444 affected people who were employed as contract staff got disengaged in 2012 without commensurate entitlements as contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement reportedly reached between them and the company.
The spokesman of the group, Mr. Godwin Idim, while speaking with reporters on Wednesday in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, said that some of their members had died in the course of the struggle to get the company pay their entitlements.
Idim also appealed to the Governor of Akwa Ibom, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, to save their souls by wading into the matter.
A counsel to the disengaged workers, Mr. Jacob Udobang & Associates, in a letter reminded the company of the need to settle with the workers, stressing that the existing labour law it signed with NUPENG and service contract employees remained binding.
He stated that majority of the affected workers were from the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom State and urged the Mobil to pay the disengaged workers their entitlements in line with the CBA without delay.
The contract agreement, dated July 1, 2010 and signed by a former Mobil Field Manager, Human Resources, Mr. Seun Oluwole; the Assistant Secretary, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Mr. G. A. Tasker; the Chairman, Labour Contract, Mr. Ikohesa Ikohesa; and the Chairman, Service Contract, Mr. Aniedi Douglas, was made available to newsmen.
But Mobil, in a letter dated February 25, 2013 and signed by Mr. Justin Ezeala, denied having any obligation whether directly or indirectly to pay terminal benefits 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 the MPN and representatives of your client,” the letter stated.
