Why ExxonMobil reduced staff strength

THERE were indications that, contrary to insinuations, workers of ExxonMobil, who were sacked last week, were offered enhanced severance package. Last week, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, besieged the corporate headquarters of ExxonMobil, alleging that their members were sacked without due process.

Documents sighted by Vanguard showed that the employees affected were  about six per cent of the workforce, and were offered exit packages in excess of the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed with the in-house Union.

Post-employment support programmes to support their transition period from the company were also included in the package. It was gathered that for the total population affected, average payment per person was in the region of N140m (One Hundred and Forty Million Naira).

The pay package was said to cover redundancy pay of about 36 months basic salary, settling-in allowance of up to two months basic salary, additional pay to address economic realities of up to three months basic salary, and Notice pay of three months basic salary.

Vanguard also gathered that the company’s management engaged in discussions with the union for over three weeks informing them about the extent of the anticipated action with a view to obtaining some understanding based on the challenges the company had been facing.

Vanguard