(Ecofin Agency) - The strike movement initiated last week at the subsidiary of oil major Exxon Mobil by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has spread to other oil companies. These are Chevron, Shell and Agip which is Eni’s subsidiary.

The oil workers behind the movement protest over the sacking of employees of Exxon Mobil Corp in December 2016. They are asking for the dismissed personnel to be reintegrated or paid a compensation.

According to PENGASSAN General Secretary Lumumba Okugbara, all members of the union are taking part to the three-day strike which began yesterday and is to continue until Wednesday across the nation. “Production activities are still on and members on essential duties are working. Only those in administrative duties are not working in the various multi-national oil companies since yesterday,” he said today.

While one of the spokespersons of Exxon said last week that the strike would not impact production, there is cause for concerns. Indeed, at the end of 2016, it might be recalled that the strikes did impact production and even caused Exxon’s office in Lagos to be temporarily shut down.