By Bimbola Oyesola
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has revoked the operating licences of NOV Oil and Gas Services Nigeria Limited and NOV Oilfield Solutions Limited (National Oilwell Varco) in Nigeria over anti-labour practices.
This is even as DPR ordered the company to pay $250,000 as fine for flouting the country’s rules and reinstated all the staff retrenched with full entitlements.
According to DPR, this was due to the companies inability to abide by the rules and regulations governing the release of staff, failure to put in place a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and for contravening the extant laws within Nigeria oil and gas industry with regards to committing anti-labour infractions and lack of respect for due process.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), whose members were sacked without recourse to the rules of the country, said the cancellation of the licences was the height of the sanctions against the company for its insensitivity and lack of respect for national and international labour laws, conventions, rules, and regulations, including the Trade Union Acts, the Nigerian Constitution and Regulation 15A of the Petroleum Drilling Act (as amended) 2019.