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17 John Street • New York, NY 10038 • {212) 962-1210- Tilden J. LeMelle, Chairman Jennifer Davis, Executive Director TO: Key Labor Contacts · FROM: Mike Fleshman, Labor Desk Coordinator DATE: July 28, 1994

SUPPORT NIGERIAN ·oiL WORKERS STRIKE FOR DEMOCRACY PROTEST NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN ON LABOR, MOBIL Otl ATTACKS ON FREEDo"M STRIKERS

While South Africa sets to the task of strengthening its new democracy, the struggle for democracy in oil­ rich Nigeria, Africa's largest country, has taken on new urgency. Since July 4 the powerful oil workers unions have paralyzed the vital oil production and refining industries with strikes aimed at ending decades of military dictatorship. They have been joined by hospital and municipal workers, students, civic and human rights organizations. Nigerian union leaders have asked for your support.

BACKGROUND

· For 24 of their 34 years of independence, the people of Nigeria have lived under military rule. Economic mismanagement and widespread corruption have plunged the country into a deep economic crisis. Last year the Nigerian military, under mounting public pressure, agreed to a carefully controlled return to civilian rule. The army created two centrist political parties and handpicked their presidential candidates in advance of national elections held in June 1993.

One of the parties, the Social Democratic Party, established a strong lead in early returns. Its leader, wealthy businessman Moshood Abiola appeared to be the clear winner in the race for president. But the army refused to step down, annulling the elections, banning political parties and muzzling Nigeria's independent press. Over 100 pro-democracy demonstrators were killed by the security forces in the weeks that followed. Later that year another general, Sani Abacha, took power and continued the crackdown, jailing democracy activists and sending troops against peaceful protesters.

THE CURRENT CRISIS

The current crisis began last month, when President-elect Abiola challenged the military by publicly claiming the presidency on the first anniversary of his election. He was arrested and held without bail on treason charges. On July 4 the largest of Nigeria's influential oil workers unions launched a national strike to win Abiola's release from prison and force the army to accept civilian rule.

· When authorities sent police to arrest oil workers union President Frank Kokori and dispatched troops to break the strike, the stoppage spread to other unions, paralyzing large parts of the Nigerian economy and attracting widespread public support for the workers' demands.

On July 18 as many as 20 people were killed when security forces attacked pro-democracy demonstrators. Union and democracy movement leaders have gone underground to avoid arrest.

MOBIL'S ROLE IN WEAKENING THE DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT

The Nigerian oil industry is controlled jointly by the government and a group of foreign oil companies, including Mobil. Oil profits are critical to the survival of the military dictatorship. That is why the oil workers strike is Nigeria's best hope for a peaceful return to civilian, democratic rule. But human rights groups say that Mobil is flying in foreign workers to replace the strikers. By putting profits before democracy, Mobil is weakening the campaign for freedom.

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Established by The American Committee on Africa, 1966 • Contributions are cax·deductible With the strike in its fourth week and the economy shut down because of fuel shortages, Nigeria has reached a flash point. Nigerian human rights organizations report that Abacha is under mounting pressure from within the military to end the crisis -- either by bowing to the peoples' demands and stepping down or crushing the pro-democracy movement by force.

LABOR SOLIDARITY COULD TIP THE BALANCE IN FAVOR OF DEMOCRACY.

SPEAK OliT against human rights abuses·'and the suppression of the democratic aspirations of the Nigerian people. Call for the release of Moshood Abiola and all other Nigerian political prisoners. Urge the Nigerian military government to return the troops to barracks and abide by the results of the 1993 election.

WRITE OR FAX:

General Sani Abacha Chair, Provincial Ruling Council c/o Ambassador Zubair M. Kazaure Nigerian Embassy to the United States 1333 16th Street N.W. Washington, DC 20036 FAX~ 202 775-1385

OPPOSE Mobil Oil's co1Iaboration with the military regime. Demand that Mobil immediately stop replacing the freedom strikers with scabs. Urge the company to protest the use of troops as strike breakers and the detention and harassment of union activists. Remind Mobil Chairman Lucio Noto that actions to undermine peaceful efforts to restore democracy could engulf Nigeria's 100 million people in a Rwanda­ style civil war.

WRITE OR FAX:

Lucio Noto Chief Executive Officer The Mobil Oil Corporation 3225 Gallows Road Fairfax, VA 22037 FAX: 703 846-1114

Send copies of your letters to The Africa Fund. We will forward them to Nigerian democracy activists.

PLEASE ACT NOW!

Nigeria's democracy movement is a peoples' movement, led by labor, religious, students and civic organizations, and driven by the poverty and injustice of over two decades of military misrule. As repression and resistance escalate, the danger of civil war and violence involving tens of millions of people grows greater. Your action can help prevent a terrible human tragedy in Africa. . - .· .. - - . .~-.-

i' _... ;: .... ,. ·.- - ...... • ---. _ ~ .- -. - ·- .. SITUATION IN NIGERJA ..' ..l- CPetroleum ! • and Natural Gas Senior Staff AssoCiation of Nigena ( P~NGASSAN) l1eld in Senin- City on

•' I July 8th, 195-4 . :he NEC in session ooservee that the following problems remain unresolvea tn the oil industry and the soc1ety at large:-

' 1. Government's inability to meet its ootigations to joint venture par1ners thereby causing I •• .- I orastic reauc:ians in operations and widesoreaa re-junelanc:es across the industry; a nd some COlses outrigm sale of foreign interests in otl comoanies without consideration of tne effects . ~- on our memoers ·as in the case of TEXACO NIGERIA P'-C. etc.

·. 2. Non-maintenance of retinenes and pipelines resulting in very low capacity utilization and perpetual fue:t scarcity.

- ... :3. a. Givemmem's refusal to constitute autonomous Petroleum Inspectorate Cvmmission (PIC) for.the :Jurpose of monitoring and cnecking sharp oractices sucn as smuggling, :/l egal I • II­ --~I. bunkering ana ~ivers1on of petroluem products . --,:- .. 1·.· ·~ - L. 1_, b. Government's inability to arrest the epileotic supply of oetroteum products suctl as - kerosine, cooking gas. etc. which has resulted in a bottle of 12.5 kg of cooking gas selling for ~- r -. between =N=400 to =N=600 insteaa of =N=80, wnile a litre of )(erosine sells for =N=2C - I t-: I I .- . insteaa of =N=2.SO . I - •,I --- I ,I 4. Persistent ~arassment and intimidations of our members by members of tl'le Armea - I- t!,. J .... Forces. The termination of our members appointment in Prel

5. Government's refusal to implement tha .awarcl by National Industrial Court (NIC) on ttle remunerations of wor'l(ers at Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effun.m.

6. Unnecessary government interference ana politicisation of appointments in NNPC wTthout due regara to merit or competence.

7. The-inability of government to live up to its social responsibilities of adequately funding the educational. health and medical institutions in the country and the continuea delay in the payment ot satartes of teactlers·. civil servants. the police in particular anct the Armed Forces in general.

6. The- continuous neglect. intimidation. harassment. extermination, etc of the oil producing communities t:Jy government agents.

9. ih& current unstable and uncertain political situation that nas rendered the- economy · hopeless and unsttrac:tNe to foretgn investors.

Having exna~y deliberated on the issues raised abOve and the need to save- the­ economy from imminent ccllap:$e and in furtttenmce of tne- resolutions passed at our last delegates conference heid in April ,99-4, the NEC in ses.slon hereOy ll!SOtve as follows that: --

-, -- I t. ..I' : r .... ~,__ - ·'- '-­ , . .· -, .. • II ~· - • .- . ... "';t. :it--

- L .- ~ - i) a. The govemmern should immediately :x~y :JC all outstanding aeets owed to jorm vemire .. L...." .. . partners in tne oil inousrry to get tne rnousrry ::ac:x on stream ana save tne country from tne " I - untatnomacle economrc oisaster that the nation seems condemnea to. .. . D. The government snoulci atso !he cost briagrnq petroleum proauc::s to the hirner1and. • I 1:2av ot amounting to tne sum of over =N=SOO mrllion, 'Nnic:t has bef!n Stanalng unpaid to the r• .. petrolet.~m manceung comcanies. I - ii) The gav.emmem snoutd 'Mtl"'craw the acnoxious mrnrstenal C:cutar ot ~ 7tn January 1994 jtjeo ·~etease ~f Oil Industry Wonters from ::nQtoymem·. wnu:.n em cowers employers in :ne .1- - r oil •ndusuy tc termrnate Nigerian woncers ano reorace tnem wrtl'l exoatnates even tor sucn . , menial joos as ~rpentry and carnting. I- II. I II iii) Stnc: aonerenee to ~XQatriate quota re<;ulations by :'1attlng the influx of expatriates into tn•!· countrf anc: tne oti inoustry.

;v) Gcvemmem snoutd create an autonomous ;::etroleum Jnsoectorate Commtsston (P'C) ~o mrnitro ana ::-:ecx wioescreaa snare prac::ices sue:. as smu;giing, :!iversron ana ille;at ounKenng ot :-e:~cteum oroauc-..s.

''J Govemme!"lt snoutd: (a) imclemem all asce:-..s of the -:cile:::::ive agreements cinaing en the 'Tianageme!"lts ct NNFC wrtn otner proauc::1g, :!'!arKettng ana sertice compames anc cur -· mmncers: ar:: .r !b} Grant NNF': autonomy to taKe strategrc ar.C: :ac.ical investment decrsJons that wtll enannce crcri~ac1iily ano cominurty, i.e. to c;u t :n :tace a sauna assets reptacement ana ;::ersonne! suc--ssion ootic:es. - .· •1i) ~ovemmem £nouiO reoress all harassrr:e~: and intimto auon oi our memeors oy oolice I an~ Armeo ~-:~:.es . ~~e ~ermination at cur :-r:emoers acocrmment :n ?raKra Seismos. -.J I~ I I- • :)resser '.1agcccer. 'Jnrto Geocnysrc::al ana Unrversat C.:ae!'ln Scrvtces Lto at gun-cornt ana - _l ~ - •,_I - •, • I -::: J I ~he persistent ai'Test of one ~r our ::lrsncn c~arrmen. Mr. : . :regna. "" ~ II""I r I • ...- I - -j vii:~ lmmeatate 'mctementatton of tr: e Aware :y the .'\lational lndustnal Court (NIC) on the II ·.I 1- :: -. concitions oi ~ervtce of ·.vorKers of F-!troleum 7ratntng !nstitute (PTl) :fft.Jrun. 1r · -1"". '. I viii) That the milrtart junta snould stoo wasting our scarce :unas on t!'le on-going Kangaroo 1 -1 -·· ~nstttutionat conierence 3nd en~less ~ransrtionat programme. ~ut reairea same t~ funding of educationat ."':ealtn ana ·mec:ical institutions. payment of satanes of teac.--rers. :1vil servants. U'!e =oiice in particu.ar and the ArmeiJ r=orces ;n generaL

ix) We call for :ne restn.Jctunng of OMPAOE-= to address effectively ~he oroolems of the oil productng communrties. Gvvemmem snouto as a matter of urgency go into meaningful aiatogue wttn the~ communities renner man harassmg ana intimicatiiing tnem. ...- -· xl Finatly, as our traVails ic U'!e oil induStry and the nation in general are ctosety rjea to the political srtu.atJon . government must.~olVe tne Ctisis by resoecting tn e aemoctatic ana sovenegn Will oi the oeocle as expressed in the iast Presiaemiat etec:ions. All aemoc:atic structures must 0e restorea and the WJnner of me ereaion instaJiea. Moreover. ~ovemmern snould. ·Mttlin· Z4 hours REL.E.~SE all politicall ana Iacour :letainees.

The NEC in session nerecy reaffirms· that the ear1ier uttimarum issued. wnictt excires Ju.ty-11 ' • 1994 still .stanas.. .II ACCOFmiNGi.-':', 311 memoers are direc:ed to beqin an inoennite- inausmal action from July 12 1994 until otner.MS~t direaed by U'!e- national t:lOay.

LCNG WVE ?=:NGAss-Nt L.ONG UVE r:E::SAJ... ~U6UC OF NIGI!.=tlA! SOUDARIT'Y FCR- EVE.~ !

• I •.· CivU LIDenaes urgBn•~caL•u•

MOBIL OIL (NIGmatA) »LQ., .MOBIL HOUSE, LZKXl BXPRB88WAY, ~RIVA~a H~IL B~O 1205~, VIO~On!~ IGL~ND, LAOOQ.

· ATT~NTIONr M!HAgiN9 PI8ECTO~ Gontlemen, Re: TilE NUrENG/J>ENGASS{\N STRIKE

Inveeti~ation• oon4uatod by ua oot&bliah that you~ CornpAn~ is

at thie time brinqinq to this ~ount::-y 1 ~ontrary t.o Irnmi9ration Roqulationa, expartriato poraonn~l ~o till the positions o!

PmNa:..gaAN Staff. Your ~otion is contrAry t.o tho no~ional

interoat and the 4emoor~tization proaes~.

~AXn NOTICE thAt tho Civil uib~rtios orqan1za~1on (CLO) has roquaetecS th• International. chemical. o.nl1 mn•rqy P'•Cl•ra~ion (IC%U") to preaau:&.·• your paront company an~ Clther Oil cout~anies in Niqeria with interest ov&r$~a• not to take stepa inimioal t.9 NiqeriA'D national interest.

Turthe~ and o~h•~ a~tion will o~rtainly ~· mounted locally ss alraady aetn\n\Unioat.•d to you l)y the C:anlpAi<;Jll !or oumoor&lcy (CP)

unl.oaa you s~op.

Youra tkithtul1y,

tc~t OIVIL L%BDRT~BS O~O~N!Z~T:ON (OLO)

· · ·- ~ . ~., ~fNitofJI c::~: •roi"ocir woe• s.~ II~ - or" AWOol. Apia loMI ot CJIJwlitMt.•011l. A;tttiiObe • , ••,, . Awu Madl.lot Obt ctota) • ~" · ~...,_,,, AbOiri 0101'1 • ~~ 01~. A!Qhe!CI Alii nola. TtNtltiW. Lltlfl tl~ • OlfM:rt)t ef Ptoleor Tunn• '""-• Rev ...... u... .. c:._ "-' ...... ··· ··· .. . Ffresidem HERMANN RAPF'E General Secretary VICTOR e. THORPE 20 July 1994

URGENT SOLJOARrrY WITH NIGERIAN OIL AND GAS WORKERS

Oear Co/leagues,

The Nigerian military regime has moved against the members and leaders of the P etroteum and Narurat Gas Senior Statf Association ot Nig.eria (PENGASSAN) and tne Naoonal Union ot Petroleum and Natura! Gas Workers (NUPENG) in the face ot strike a.ction by these colleagues ro save their joos and their industry from imminent co !lapse. r:cnowing ioint police and armed torces ~aids on the homes of key union officials. Brother Frank Kokori, Secretart of NUPENG. and Src:.her E. lregha. Srancn C~airman or P=NGASSAN. are bottl in detemlon and ctner leaaers are in hiding. Nonetheless. tne strike cominues.

We have been contacted by PENGASSAN General Secretary. Cllief M.G. Oabibi, currently in hiding. with details ot the uniors· demands to the regime which precipitated tne strike action. Cetails follow !h!s letter. As you will i<.now. :ne present Nigerian regime seized power in a military coup following tne democratic elec:ion of Moshooo A biola in June 1993, who is still detained. Trade union supocrt for the return of tr.e country to demcc:atic control has mounted as che economrc situation has worsene

Far now our majcr concern is to bring tne stronges: possible pressure to bear upon the Nigerian regime to release all trade union detainees who are oursuing their just demands in a strike that accords with internationally guaranteed freedoms. At present. Brother Oaoibi points out: ... we are being persecuted as if we are an illegal groupn. We urgently request your interver.tion with me following people on behalf of our colleagues:

"!. Chief Don .Etlebet 2. Or. s. 0. Ogbemudia Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Minister of Labour & Productivity Federal Secretariat, Phase 1 Federal Secretariat, Phase 1 lkoyl • l..agos lkoyi • Lagos Nigeria Nigeria

-....:. .l · ·a . .. ~- Or through the Nigerian smb·assy or mission in your country, please.

V'JC T1lorpe General Secretart Enclosure: Communique

International Federation Qf Chemacal, energy and General Workers' Unions Fed~tion fnte.matlonate des 5yndic3ts ae Trava&lleu~ de Ia Chimte, de I'Eflergie et des lndusm&s Oiverses lntemationate F~eration von Chemie·, Errergie- una Facrikarteatervertanden lnternationetla Kemr-, Energt· ocn Faariksarbetarlederationen !=et~eracron lntemae:onai aa Sindicatos de irabaradores de Ia Ouimic3, de Ia Energia e lndustnas Oiversas ma it~~ '* 1'-' ~ - -a jt ~