Operations at Oil Mining Lease (OML-18) in Rivers State have been brought to a standstill after members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) commenced an industrial action.

The facility, situated along the Cawthorne Channel between Degema and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas, was shut down in protest against NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited (NEOL), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

In a strike directive issued on Wednesday, PENGASSAN’s Port Harcourt Zonal Assistant General Secretary, Sere Nwikiabeh, instructed members to “withdraw your services immediately until our demands are met.”

The union explained that the shutdown followed the lapse of a 14-day ultimatum and an additional grace period without resolution, accusing NEOL management of being “adamant to our demands” despite several engagements.

PENGASSAN listed its grievances as the non-deduction and remittance of outstanding check-off dues for members under ND Engineering Limited, failure to redeploy such members to other contractors, management’s refusal to respond to its Charter of Demands for the commencement of branch Collective Bargaining Agreement talks, and the continued non-recognition of the Branch Executive Committee’s “due rights and privileges.”

In an earlier letter dated July 14, 2025, the association accused NEOL of “persistent unfair labour practices,” including failure to remit check-off dues, refusal to address its Charter of Demands, and disregard for the elected branch leadership.

“Despite several reminders and engagements, management has continually failed to address these matters,” the letter stated.

The union warned that the strike would continue until NEOL meets all its demands, vowing to take every lawful measure to protect its members’ rights and interests.

It added that the action is expected to cause significant disruption to NEOL’s operations until an agreement is reached.

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