Ovedhe Hezekiah – Warri
More than half of contract workers at the Osubi airstrip in Okpe local government area of Delta state have been sacked by their employee, Shorelines Oil Services Limited.
The sacked staff were given N35,000 only as pay off after working for 21 years in the company.
The Dune learnt that in the past four days, the sacked workers have had negotiations with the company, but not positive outcomes were in sight.
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One of the affected workers who was sacked, Henshaw Peter confirmed the sack of the staff in a telephone chat with this reporter, said; “it’s true sir. Very correct. I have the termination letter. It is really uncalled for.”
While noting that the said company do annual renewal, Peter said, “the way it happened, it is really uncalled for.”
“As at April, they sent us half salary without prior notice. As at May, they gave us N7,000, N4,000 within a month. Nobody complained. By June, out of 100 staff, they said they need 40 people because of the situation(COVID-19). So, they asked us to go and relax. Most of us went home to relax.”
“Surprisingly, we were called four days ago for meetings. When we got there, they just sent one of the workers to distribute paper to us which is really very bad.”
Peters further said, “we have the termination papers and a lot of series of letters written.”
Peter urged the Delta state government to call the company to order to forestall possible breakdown of law.
Efforts to get the angle of the management of Shoreline was unsuccessful as staff on ground refused to speak when this reporter visited the company on Sunday.
A human right activist, Comrade Israel Joe has called on the federal and Delta state governments to prevail on Shoreline to rescind the sack.
Joe on Sunday noted that they intend to challenge the decision of the company at the industrial court.
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“We shall continue to engage in peaceful demonstration to dramatise to the world the suppressive tendencies on the workers.
“We hold tenaciously to our positions that such decisions are irrational at this point where the world is struggling to put people back to work as the post Covid-19 economic plan.”
