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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Petrojam shutdown loom...( Observer )...</span>
DISGRUNTLED technicians at Petrojam are threatening to shut down operations at the state-owned oil refinery if the company fails to honour a wage agreement by tomorrow.A meeting has since been scheduled between the management of Petrojam, the National Workers Union (NWU) and Ministry of Labour officials for this afternoon, following the issuance of a 72-hour ultimatum yesterday.Petrojam's officials could not be reached for a comment on the issue yesterday.Senior negotiating officer at the NWU, Robert Harris, told the Observer yesterday that normality could not be guaranteed if the company continued to hold fast to its decision not to honour the wage agreement for 2008/2010."We represent some 70 technicians and without them the refinery would fail to run," Harris told the Observer."The technicians are not prepared to continue because they have been working for three years now without an increase although inflation keeps going up," he added.The workers are seeking an adjustment of 15 per cent over two years in their basic salary.According to Harris, the Government has denied Petrojam's application for payment on the agreement, claiming that the company is in a position to pay the outstanding amounts as well as to negotiate a new contract for the technicians.According to Harris, it had become necessary for the ultimatum to be issued after the company informed the union that it would neither pay the already agreed upon wage increase or entertain negotiating of any new contract.According to Harris, it cannot be business as usual if the company does not revisit its position."What we intend to hold to when we go to the meeting is that the company must make some gesture and whatever the gesture is there must be some indication to pay the outstanding amount as well as prepare to negotiate for the new cycle," he said.Petrojam satisfies 70 per cent of the country's demand for fuel.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Petrojam shutdown loom...( Observer )...</span>
DISGRUNTLED technicians at Petrojam are threatening to shut down operations at the state-owned oil refinery if the company fails to honour a wage agreement by tomorrow.A meeting has since been scheduled between the management of Petrojam, the National Workers Union (NWU) and Ministry of Labour officials for this afternoon, following the issuance of a 72-hour ultimatum yesterday.Petrojam's officials could not be reached for a comment on the issue yesterday.Senior negotiating officer at the NWU, Robert Harris, told the Observer yesterday that normality could not be guaranteed if the company continued to hold fast to its decision not to honour the wage agreement for 2008/2010."We represent some 70 technicians and without them the refinery would fail to run," Harris told the Observer."The technicians are not prepared to continue because they have been working for three years now without an increase although inflation keeps going up," he added.The workers are seeking an adjustment of 15 per cent over two years in their basic salary.According to Harris, the Government has denied Petrojam's application for payment on the agreement, claiming that the company is in a position to pay the outstanding amounts as well as to negotiate a new contract for the technicians.According to Harris, it had become necessary for the ultimatum to be issued after the company informed the union that it would neither pay the already agreed upon wage increase or entertain negotiating of any new contract.According to Harris, it cannot be business as usual if the company does not revisit its position."What we intend to hold to when we go to the meeting is that the company must make some gesture and whatever the gesture is there must be some indication to pay the outstanding amount as well as prepare to negotiate for the new cycle," he said.Petrojam satisfies 70 per cent of the country's demand for fuel.