Nigerian oil union says Chevron talks on job cuts resume

ABUJA (Bloomberg) -- Talks between a Nigerian oil labor union and Chevron Corp. over the U.S. energy giant’s plan to fire thousands of workers resumed Friday, the union said.

Union leaders are in talks with company representatives at a meeting mediated by the labor ministry, Fortune Obi, a spokesman for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, or Pengassan, said by phone. The talks had been scheduled for Thursday but were delayed by a national strike to demand an increase in the country’s minimum wage.

Chevron has said it plans to end current job contracts and replace them with new ones in November. Pengassan says the move is in violation of existing contracts and is appealing to the government to have the contracts rolled over instead.

The union warned on Sept. 22 that it would call a a nationwide strike in Africa’s biggest oil producer if Chevron didn’t rescind its decision to cut jobs.