At least 150 casual workers of the Greater Pioneer Operation Company (GPOC) in the Unity Oilfield in Unity State are set to sign their contracts in two weeks, a representative of the workers said.
Duol Riang, the chairperson of the casual workers union told Radio Tamazuj over the weekend that GPOC promised to give employment them contracts.
“We agreed on Saturday to wait two weeks to sign the contracts with GPOC,” he said.
Last Tuesday the workers held a peaceful demonstration against the firm’s alleged delay in renewing their contracts.
The workers protested the oil firm’s decision to pay their perks in South Sudanese Pounds.
“Each casual staff receives SSP 150,000 since we were employed in 2019 after the firm resumed oil explorations in Rubkona County of Unity State,” Duol said in an earlier interview with Radio Tamazuj.
“The protests came after the casual workers went for six years without signing any contract with GPOC and the casual workers went on a peaceful demonstration for three days starting 7 to 10 May. If there is no response after four days, we will resume peaceful demonstrations to claim our rights,” Duol explained at the time of the strike. “Our protests were communicated before the demonstrations and we shared the notice for the peaceful demonstrations with local authorities in Rubkona County, the state government, the national security, the CID, and the security personnel are all aware of this protest.”
Meanwhile, Kathare Juol, the commissioner of Rubkonta County confirmed that a peaceful demonstration was held in Unity Oilfield by casual staff of GPOC on Tuesday.
“I was informed that the casual workers went on a peaceful demonstration claiming their rights to have contracts instead of keeping them as casuals, they have rights to claim through peaceful demonstrations,” the commissioner said.