Osama10:


This is not a one side story, the OP is spot on.SLB is not helping matters at all, the geoservices guys on my platform are very very bitter about this development too.


Our labour laws are bull shit.

Thank you my brother. Let's see what happens afterwards.

The final verdict is that the workers will move, their benefits will be calculated, and they will be paid, and they will continue with slb as planned.

I want the management to know that I have eyes and for every worker dismissed without benefits, the social media will hear.

Finally, employees are not tools that get replaced when they are worn out. They are humans with aspirations and goals. Maintain them, sharpen them and they will last longer.

Thanks to everyone that has been of help. I will keep you posted.

Mrbigman1:


Asinine ehh.

That move is always annoying.

Dem wan do am now wey job bo really dey so they Wnt have any union falling at dia back.

That's what we are fighting in my company too and I am yet to get my April salary.

Bosses are the messi we watch on tv

My brother, give most black men power and they will trample on their brothers and sisters.

In recent times, slb has retired a lot of workers from Geo services. The same slb is conducting interview and hiring new hands.

I can strongly say that these new guys will be working at Geo base.

Coldplay007:
This story is not complete.. What does Geoscience employee policy says about termination of employment and what does Schlumberger's employee policy states about employee benefits..

Did the staff of geoscience sign any document when Schlumberger bought GeoScience?

American and European organisation's usually follow their employee policies to the letter.. You need to get both documents and study it..

I don't have access to that because I don't work there. However during my NEXT training several years ago at Slb the instructor told me that if you are found wanting (probably you made a mistake), you will be dismissed without benefits.
Do you now see the bone of contention?

Mrbigman1:


Are the Geo-services workers not under pengassen?

Or do dey not belong to any national union?

That only can help.

Me don apply for Geo-services like one million times with relevant experience, nothing dey come out.

PENGASSAN has been involved. While workers were trying to resolve the case at PENGASSAN, management brought SSS to forcefully remove the already loaded trucks in the base. They were not allowed.

You have to apply via slb now.

ollyruffy:
The employer says they want to move your base to another site. They have not told you that they are going to cut your salaries by moving.

You have mentioned that the worker are afraid of doing over time in the new base. Is the employer not going to pay or compensate you for the overtime?

I dont see any problem here.

Here is the thing. Workers are saying pay us off for the years we have put in if you want to move us and start a new contract with us. Company says "no, we won't pay you off because we are not sure you will continue working".

Workers are afraid of victimization and abrupt sack without benefits. Those in the system will understand what I mean.

In my simple analogy, this is a case of divide and rule. Move them to the new site, pick them out one after the other.

Why attempt to move equipments at 2am on a Saturday? Why not during normal work hours when employees are available?
Why withhold the salaries of Geo workers when other Schlumberger employees have been paid?

This is a case of workers saying "pay us off".
Do you get the drift?

Seun and mods, please send this to front page.

dotune:
The fact remains that our labour laws are either weak or non existent at all. The national labour union is actually supposed to take this up and not necessarily the govt. they should keep fighting on. A new govt is here! Hopefully they would be vindicated.

Ministry of Labour has visited and they were angry at the turn of things. I am not directly involved, I would have taken legal actions. I need advice on the best way to go about this or at least recommend to Geo workers.

However, I will fight this using social media, in my own little way.

Ukeachu1:

omo...this one na hot gist

Imagine grown men sleeping out and without salaries because of a company. My dad haven't slept home in almost a week.

I am privileged to have finished my university education and be able to contribute to the family purse. Think about families that have younger children with little or no money.

elipheleh:
And what has the government done to protect his citizens? Blame it on the dauradullard who has no common sense to tackle important issues as this but prefer to remove compensation programme that help aliviate suffering of the Niger delta whose environment and waters are being polluted.

The government has done nothing or rather, people at the corridors of power have chosen to mask the laws. In places like UAE, companies like Chevron and the likes come under indigenous companies.

This time around something must happen.

Normally I would let this pass but not this time. I have been a member of Nairaland since its inception but seek to conceal my other profile because of its popularity.

I am an engineering graduate from the University of Ibadan. I had the opportunity to have my industrial attachment in one of the multinationals. I also have family members in some multinationals so I get a lot of insider's gist.
As can be seen from my dairies, I do not have the intention of working for any company. I have always been business oriented, and as a matter of fact, I already started something.

In 2010, Schlumberger bought Geo services, an oil servicing company. Geo services sold off the company and its workers with the agreement that Schlumberger will handle the payoffs.
Sometime in 2014, Schlumberger began incorporating Geo services into their operations; bringing in their standards.

I know this because I had NEXT training in Schlumberger and visited blue base (Schlumberger main base at Trans-Amadi) a couple of times.

About a week ago I called home from NYSC camp and enquired about my dad only to find out that he has slept in the office for 2 days. What is the fuse about?

For those familiar with Port Harcourt, Schlumberger is at Slaughter and Geo services is opposite Toyota, all at Trans-Amadi. I was told that Schlumberger had requested that all the workers in Geo services be moved to blue base. A notion they refused.

I have worked with a lot of Schlumberger guys and I am familiar with the laws, quest system, and dismissals. Also, I am familiar with the hours you have to put in. You see workers staying in the office till 9pm just to please someone.

These facts made workers at Geo services sceptical about moving, due to fear off dismissal without paid benefits. My dad for example has put in over 12 years. You can imagine! I know people who had put in 15 years. The workers insisted that they be paid off and rehired under a new contract with Schlumberger.

While negotiations were on, Schlumberger decided to play a smart one by attempting to move all the equipments from Geo services: an act they believe will force the workers to move. Guess what? This was done at 2am on Saturday. Workers were notified and they ran in to stop the act.
Schlumberger management locked the gate and workers decided to sleep outside since Saturday to prevent trucks from moving their equipments out.

Workers on land job(onshore) at Obagi stopped work. Schlumberger tried to send workers from blue base to take over. But Geo workers were smart to unload and come back to base with two trucks, halting Obagi operations.
Schlumberger decided to take the case to commissioner of police on Monday. I believe his response didn't suit them, on Tuesday they went to the Ministry of Labour (ML) on the grounds that two of their trucks were stolen. Geo workers were called for negotiations at ML but Schlumberger management refused to show up.

Next they went to SSS to arrest the workers. A plan that was also foiled because their story didn't add up. They have also been to Trans-Amadi police station.
As at yesterday they sent lawyers with an injunction. Obviously the lawyers were fakes. They were chased away.
The current news is that they have gone to Bayelsa to obtain a court injunction.

I know that Schlumberger pays their workers on the 22nd of every month but these men fighting for their rights have not been paid. Their salaries are being withheld with the hope that some of them will break.

These men and women have families to feed, they have bills to pay, they have expectations to meet. I may not be interested in the fight but my family and the family of Nigerians are involved. Exorbitant amounts are paid to experts while peanuts are given to Nigerian workers.

#SayNoToExploitation
#SchlumbergerPayThemOff

Seun and mods please I want Nigerians to see this. I will keep you guys updated as the story unfolds.