Widows, sacked workers threaten TotalEnergies shutdown over jobs

Mkpoikana Udoma

Port Harcourt — Widows and indigenous contract workers from Egi communities in Rivers State have threatened to shut down the operations of TotalEnergies in Oil Mining Lease, OML 58, over the continued disengagement of 47 indigenous contract staff allegedly dismissed since 2014.

The affected workers, under the umbrella of Egi Indigenous Contract Staff/Service Workers, in collaboration with the Niger Delta Widows Prayer Forum, issued the threat in a petition addressed to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies in Paris, France.

The petition, signed by representatives of the workers and widows from Egi communities in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, accused the company of unfairly disengaging the workers in 2014 after they requested to be converted from contract staff to permanent employees.

According to the petitioners, the workers were dismissed after demanding improved employment status and better welfare conditions, a development they described as unjust and discriminatory.

In the petition signed by community representatives and widows’ leaders, the petitioners accused the French oil giant of neglecting the Egi people and failing to reinstate workers whose disengagement they described as unjust and devastating to families in the area.

The widows lamented that many of the disengaged workers, who were once breadwinners for their families, had been reduced to commercial motorcycle riding and menial jobs despite their educational qualifications.

“We write with great disappointment and aches in our hearts on the high level of neglect and disregard for the people of Egi Clan over the manner our humble, hardworking and respected sons and daughters were inconsiderately dismissed from your company in 2014 without any iota of measures or steps to reinstate them,” the petition stated.

The women said the situation had worsened the hardship faced by widows in the oil-bearing communities, many of whom had lost their husbands and depended on their children for survival.

“We are grossly touched, annoyed and doubly disappointed because we lost our husbands as bread winners, now our sons and daughters who are trying to relieve us from our pains are disengaged from their jobs that are putting smiles on our faces gradually and making us forget our woes,” the group added.

The petition further questioned why the affected workers remained disengaged despite what they described as similar labour-related actions by other categories of workers within the company who were allegedly not punished in the same manner.

“To our utmost surprise, your company failed to give answers to the question; if the expression of their rights when dehumanized is against work ethics. Some months ago the staff did the same and the contract staff presently on work did the same. Why is it that our own is different,” they queried.

The women warned that failure by TotalEnergies to address the matter within seven working days could trigger mass protests and shutdowns involving women groups from across the Niger Delta and beyond.

“If however after this painful efforts we are making does not make any sense to you to recall this matter to resolution, we the entire widows of Egi land will not fail to bring this matter to national attention including Ikwerre, Ogoni and Middle Belt women respectively who will be mobilized en-mass to stage a total shut-down of your company’s activities in our clan till this matter is resolved,” the petition stated.

The petition was signed on behalf of the workers by Comrade Isaac Happy Isaac, Comrade Ikechukwu Denson, Comrade Musa Morgan and Comrade Victor Obulor, while Mrs Rose Ogbogu, Mrs Ucheoma Isioma, Mrs Rose Jack and other widows signed on behalf of the women group.

The development adds to growing tensions between oil companies and host communities in the Niger Delta over employment, community benefits and local participation in the operations of multinational energy firms.