Blessing Iruoma, Port Harcourt
Fifty-three sacked workers of Total E&P Nigeria Limited, have threatened to shut down operations of the company across Rivers State if they are not reinstated.
The 53 workers who are all indigenes of Egi Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state, host community of Total, disclosed that they were sacked in 2014 after they protested for permanent engagement.
Chairman of the Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, Austin Okpara Ijeoma who spoke on behalf of the affected workers in a press briefing in Port Harcourt, stated that seven appeals have been made to the management of Total to recall the workers but to no avail.
In a letter made available to newsmen at the briefing, the group had demanded for justice, equity, fairness and peace in the matter, stressing that failure to recall the workers will amount to injustice and that they are ready to follow it up to justice.
The group given the company 21 days ultimatum to recall the sacked workers threatened to shutdown all activities of Total if action is not taken in respect of their request. They threatened to commence on the close company starting from Monday, Match 23, 2020 unless their demands are met.
“We write to remind the management of Total E&P Nig. LTD. that they have not complied with the demand we made asking them to immediately recall the 53 sacked Egi Community workers who most of them are members of Niger Delta Youth Movement.
“Unfortunately, it is heart rendering to note that till date all request and appeals from various groups and well respected individuals to you to recall these Egi Community workers have been deliberately rebuffed.
“This letter is not an appeal but a demand for justice, equity, fairness and peace. Your obstinate refusal to recall these sack workers is obvious and a direct confrontation on us and we shall continue to demand for justice by any means necessary until workers are recalled.
“We equivocally reinstate our demand: the immediate recall of all unjustifiable sacked Egi Community workers. You have 21 days to address these issues or face shutdown of Total facilities”, the group threatened.
Some of the sacked victims that spoke with our correspondent, lamented that the action has caused them untold hardship.