Part of the 1,400 disengaged Service Contract Workers in Mobil Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), Nigerian affiliate of US oil firm, ExxonMobil, on Tuesday carried out a peaceful demonstration in front of Mobil Headquarters in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, demanding their terminal benefits.

Mr. Aniedi Douglas, one of the affected workers said that the layoff of the staff in 2012 was in breach of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between them and Mobil which spelt out their entitlements should there be a lay off. According to Douglas it was the reserve of the employer to hire and fire but the disengagement process involves settlement of terminal benefits.

“We are not trying to foist ourselves on them, our position is that if you want to ease us out, follow what is in the agreement, this is simple enough, agreement is agreement.

“One thousand, four hundred workers were sacked by Mobil in one day in 2012 without any terminal benefit.

“The company has refused to give them their Terminal Benefits and these down-trodden Nigerians are suffering untold hardship for many years now.

“We are pleading with the government to come to our aid, we had taken this matter to the National Assembly as well as the Presidency and Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum, who happened to be a Vice President in ExxonMobil pledged to resolve the issue before year end.

“The year is ending and we gathered here to draw attention to our plight and remind the minister of the pledge he made to us, he should act fast,” Douglas said.

Officials of Mobil Producing at the Oil Terminal who confirmed the development told our Correspondent that the protest did not affect operations but declined further comments.