Settlement reached for state oil workers in Ivory Coast

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate SYNTEPCI has negotiated a strong settlement for 50 workers laid off by state-owned oil company Petroci in January.

After a series of strike actions and four months of negotiations with Petroci and the Ministry of Labour, SYNTEPCI trade union has succeeded in reinstating two workers and securing a redundancy settlement worth around US$2 million for the remaining 48 workers.

A deal finalized on 1 May makes provisions for :

– The reinstatement of a pregnant worker and worker representative
– A redundancy package of 15 months’ gross salary for all 48 workers
12 months of health insurance for the laid off workers
– A social reintegration package for the 48 workers through a work-training programme.
– The Petroci Foundation to pay for the medical treatment for a sick child and sick wife of two of the laid of workers.
– The total package for the 48 workers is worth more than 1.2 billion francs (US$2 million).

SYNTEPCI general secretary, Jeremie Wondje, said :

“We are proud and grateful to all the workers in our union for their actions and support for the 48 workers laid off by Petroci.

“I would also like to thank our national centre, the UGTCI, as well as IndustriALL Global Union for their support.

“Together we have refused to allow workers’ rights to be violated and we thank you for your individual and collective actions that have restored workers’ dignity.”

Petroci had illegally laid off the workers and went to offer damages and compensation that was far lower than required under national labour law.

IndustriALL’s energy director, Diana Junquera Curiel, said :

“We congratulate SYNTEPCI on its hard-won victory in securing a fair and just settlement for workers. Petroci has learnt that it cannot trample over workers’ rights and that the nation’s labour laws have to be respected by all.”