Nigerian Oil Affiliates Issue Ultimatum to Shell, NNPC

Nigerian ICEM affiliates NUPENG and PENGASSAN 28 February issued an ultimatum to Shell and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) to correct workforce deficiencies or face industrial action. In a joint statement, the unions demand consultation on all future redundancies, an end to contract employment, a stop to abuse of expatriate quotas, and a review of the government’s downstream deregulation policy. If management of Shell and state-owned NNPC do not address these issues, industrial action could commence 21 March.