- Workers lay down tools
- Management in crisis meeting
- Total E & P has oil production licenses in Uganda
All is not well at French oil exploration and production giant Total E&P Uganda. News reaching the TrumpetNews desk is that hundreds of workers have laid down their tools in protest over low salaries.
The workers had from the start of last year engaged management to review and up their salaries which they believe are too low.
A senior manager at the company told this website “We are poorly paid. Our salaries do not match the earnings of other workers elsewhere or even the ones offered by other oil production companies. We cannot continue working for peanuts”
Oil production on
Total E&P Uganda was issued with three production licenses by cabinet after a sitting 3rd August 2016. A statement released by State House Uganda after the meeting stated that the cabinet sitting considered and approved a request from the minister of energy to allow her issue three petroleum production licenses to Total E&P.
The production licenses issued had a duration of 25 years and can be renewed for an additional 5 years as provided for in the Production sharing agreement (PSA). The licenses covered exploration area 1 of the Albertine graben, that is, Ngiri, Jobi-Rii and Gunya.
Other companies involved in oil production are British Tullow Oil and Chinese CNOOC who also have operational licenses to explore and produce oil in Uganda.
Workers woes
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda which regulates the licensed oil companies was tight-lipped about the strike at Total. Efforts to talk to top management at Total were also fruitless as they were locked in an emergency meeting to solve the impasse.
Workers at Total E&P said they were paid “peanuts” and had repeatedly asked management through their workers association to review and increase their salaries.
