PENGASSAN To Tackle Contract Staffing Abuse, Casualisation In Oil, Gas Industry

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has vowed to tackle the abuse of contract staffing, casualisation and outsourcing in the oil and gas industry, with its newly elected president, Comrade Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro, calling for stronger government action to protect workers and attract fresh investment into the sector.

Olabiyi-Agoro, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, said the union would go to the root of contract staffing practices which, according to him, have increasingly been used by some companies as a tool to undermine job security and exploit workers.

He called on the federal government to create a more conducive operating environment for the industry, stressing that government must play a stronger role in ensuring that employers comply with labour regulations and collective bargaining agreements.

“We want to get to the root of the contract staffing strategies that many companies have turned into a tool of abuse in the industry and correct the anomaly,” he said.

The new PENGASSAN president, who assumed office following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past president, Comrade Festus Osifo, pledged to build on the achievements and initiatives of the previous administration.

He said his administration would prioritise workers’ welfare, job protection and improved conditions of service, while expanding PENGASSAN’s membership to cover more companies across the oil and gas value chain.

Olabiyi-Agoro also pledged to strengthen the union’s collective bargaining capacity through wider unionisation of oil and gas companies, saying a stronger membership base would enable PENGASSAN to speak with a more effective voice in protecting workers’ interests.

Beyond labour issues, he said the union would intensify capacity building, training and retraining programmes to equip workers with the skills required to remain relevant as digitalisation and emerging technologies transform the oil and gas industry.

He further identified the consolidation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as another priority of his administration, stressing that greater regulatory certainty was essential to attracting investment into the sector.

“My interest is to actualise the annual industry platform organised by PENGASSAN, bringing together government regulators, industry operators, labour leaders and investors to debate and resolve challenges in the energy sector, such as energy transition, divestments and the Petroleum Industry Act,” he said.

Olabiyi-Agoro said his administration would also sustain key programmes established under the previous leadership, including the PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit, PENGASSAN Foundation (PEALS), constitutional awareness and training programmes, as well as women empowerment initiatives.

He urged PENGASSAN members to uphold the values of the association and contribute to industrial peace and productivity in their workplaces and communities.

“Our message to all our members is to always strive to be good ambassadors of the Association in their various branches and in the larger society. To be an agent of performance, peace and progress,” he said.

The PENGASSAN president also urged the Federal Government to continue creating an enabling environment capable of attracting investment into the oil and gas industry, noting that the government must serve as a bridge between employers and workers.

He said PENGASSAN would work to ensure that both employers and employees adhered to established rules and collective bargaining agreements, stressing that compliance with such agreements was critical to sustaining industrial harmony and protecting workers’ rights.