Gabon oil workers start 15-day strike at Total facilities (updated)

TotalEnergies EP Gabon

09/07/2018 11:23

(Adds Total no comment, details)
    LIBREVILLE, July 9 (Reuters) - Gabon oil workers' union ONEP
began a 15-day strike at the facilities of French oil producer
Total  TOTF.PA  on Monday after demands for higher pay and other
issues were not met, the union said in a statement.
    ONEP threatened to strike last month, after Total Gabon
failed to respond to demands made to the company in May. In
addition to higher pay, the union requested new bonuses,
increased opportunities for career advancement and a reduction
in the number of foreign workers.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1TS5DC
    "The 15-day strike will affect all installations operated by
Total Gabon's employees as of Monday July 9th," the ONEP
statement said, including facilities in the capital Libreville
and the oil hub of Port Gentil.
    The decision to strike follows several failed discussions
with Total representatives mediated by the Ministry of
Employment, ONEP said. 
    A Total spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
    Gabon produces about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude,
according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, but
output from the OPEC member's mature fields has plummeted from a
1997 peak of 370,000 bpd.
    A steep fall in oil prices in 2014 and 2015 choked much
needed revenue and forced companies to layoff thousands of oil
workers. 
    Total produces about 54,000 barrels of oil equivalent per
day in Gabon.

 (Reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, additional reporting
by Bate Felix; writing by Sofia Christensen; editing by Jason
Neely and Jane Merriman)
 ((Sofia.Christensen@thomsonreuters.com;))