Ijaws from Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdoms, the hometown of fugitive ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo in Delta State, have threatened to shut down Chevron Nigeria Limited’s operations in the area if within 48 hours it failed to convert its graduate Operator/Maintenance Trainees into permanent staff.
The graduates under the aegis of KOMBOT-Egbema and Gbaramatu Graduates Association said they had decided to take the decision following failure of Chevron to convert the trainees into full staff after completing their 18 months graduate training programme with the oil giant.
In a statement signed by its President and Secretary, Yabrade Moses and Asoki Victor Warebi, lamented that after the completion of their programme they were still being retained as trainees when they ought to have been converted into chevron permanent staff in line with the terms of the programme.
The statement read, “We the undersigned for and on behalf of KOMBOT-Egbema & Gbaramatu Graduates Association wish to emphatically state that Chevron Nigeria Limited should within 48 hours confirm the VTP5/OTP2, VTP6 Operator/Maintenance Trainees of Chevron Nigeria Limited as permanent staff or face a mass action that might cripple their operations in Egbema and Gbaramatu kingdom which are host to CNL.
“The Trainees are since overdue for conversion to permanent staff basis after 18 months, rather they are still being retained as trainees on the job as a means of cheap labour, for the past four years, which is totally unacceptable to us.
“The trainees should be regularised as soon as possible to avoid the inevitable danger awaiting Chevron Nigeria Limited due to the company’s management nonchalant attitudes towards the reclassification of the Trainees as staff, the non-intake of the 2014 awaiting batch and other crucial employment issues.”
It noted that the leadership of Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdoms had written several letters and as well met with the management of the company on the issue but Chevron was rather interested in keeping the youths from their hosts for cheap labour instead of being given full employment.
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