Workers at Seplat Energy have commenced an indefinite strike following the breakdown of negotiations over the proposed 2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement and unresolved staff welfare concerns.
The industrial action, led by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), began on Friday, according to the union’s General Secretary, Mr. Jerry Amah.
PENGASSAN stated that the strike would continue “until further notice” after discussions with the company failed to produce agreement on workers’ conditions of service.
As part of the action, union members have suspended most operational activities, including production reporting and export processes, while maintaining only essential safety and power functions.
The strike affects Seplat Energy’s onshore and offshore assets, joint venture operations, and offices nationwide, raising concerns about potential disruptions to oil production.
The dispute centres on unresolved issues within the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement, a key framework governing employees’ wages, benefits, and overall working conditions.
While senior staff represented by PENGASSAN are participating in the strike, other categories of employees under a separate union are not involved in the industrial action.
The development highlights persistent tensions between employers and employees in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, where disagreements over compensation and welfare provisions have frequently resulted in industrial action.
A similar labour dispute involving PENGASSAN in 2025 disrupted operations in the downstream sector before it was eventually suspended.
The latest action by Seplat workers underscores the central role of collective bargaining in industrial relations, and the impact that unresolved negotiations can have on workforce stability and organisational productivity.
