Norway's Scatec Solar Says Three Projects Caught in South Africa Row
Three solar plants planned by Norway's Scatec Solar were among 27 energy deals blocked by a South African court on Tuesday when it agreed to hear a legal challenge by a group loyal to ousted President Jacob Zuma, the firm said on Thursday. State utility Eskom had been due to sign the 27 deals, mostly for wind and solar from independent power producers. It would have been the first major investment package under President Cyril Ramaphosa, who replaced Zuma last month.
Shell's Gabon Oil Workers Begin Strike
Royal Dutch Shell workers in Gabon began an "unlimited" strike on Thursday at all the company's operations in the Central African OPEC member country, the workers' union wrote in a letter to employees. Shell is in advanced talks to sell its Gabon assets, which one source estimated could be worth $700 million, leaving workers worried about layoffs or being moved to new locations, the union said.
India’s NUSI Warns of Oil Exploration Training Shortage
Indian shipping trade union the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) has asked the Indian Ministry of Shipping for financial help toward the training of maritime workforce in oil exploration activities. The union’s General Secretary, Abdulgani Serang, said NUSI has requested financial aid and incentives from the Ministry through National Shipping Board for training the maritime workforce at NUSI Offshore Training Institute (NOTI), currently operated by NUSI-ITF Trust.
Angola's Opposition Calls for Transparency in Public Spending
Angola's main opposition political party has asked President José Eduardo dos Santos to explain why the state was not using strategic oil funds from oil revenue to help the ailing economy in its response to last week's state of the nation address. Angola's Vice President Manuel Vicente said last Thursday the economy will grow more slowly than expected this year, as subdued oil prices sap public spending…
S.Africa Coal Unions Reject Offer, Talks Continue
South African unions in the coal sector rejected revised wage offers from their employer in ongoing pay talks, officials said on Tuesday. "All the unions have rejected the offer and the commissioners are still trying to mediate," said Peter Bailey, who is representing the National Union of Mineworkers, the biggest of the four unions, in the talks. Reporting by Peroshni Govender
Glencore Cutting Jobs at South African Coal Mine
Global mining firm Glencore said on Wednesday it will cut about 380 jobs at its Optimum Coal subsidiary in South Africa after the closure of some operations at the mine. The Swiss-based company said in January it was planning to close some of its South African coal mines and laying off workers due to falling prices. The planned closure of Optimum Coal mines had initially put more than 1,000 jobs at risk, but the number was earlier this month reduced to between 600 and 700 jobs.
South African Union Mulls Options over Glencore Layoffs
South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers is considering taking legal action against the government if Glencore cuts over 600 jobs at its Optimum Coal unit, it said on Monday. NUM said in a statement that Glencore had, in its view, failed to comply with its social and labour plans regarding severance packages and it was therefore up to the department of mineral resources (DMR) to "enforce compliance".
Nigerian Oil Union Shuts Down Halliburton Operation Over Job Cuts
Nigeria's main oil union has shut down the local operations of U.S. oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. in protest against job cuts, the trade body said on Tuesday. Tokunbo Korodo, Lagos chairman for the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), told Reuters the group halted operations on Monday saying it was opposed to Halliburton's decision to sack 46 local staff members. The union accused Halliburton of not following due process.
Thatcher's Secret Weapon in Miners' Strike Shuts, Ending an Era
Littlebrook power station, which towers grimly over the lower Thames near Dartford in Kent, ceases operations today after almost 35 years, the last of Britain's big oil-fired power plants to close. Littlebrook is an unlikely symbol of modern Britain. But the power plant played a critical role helping the Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher break the miners' strike of 1984/85. Now its closure marks the impact of higher oil prices and EU-wide policies…
Kemp: Britain's North Sea O&G Firms Must Look to Future Abroad
Britain's North Sea oil and gas operators are mounting an impressive lobbying campaign to win tax concessions and other government help ahead of the final budget of this parliament on March 18. In an editorial in Thursday's Financial Times newspaper endorsed the idea of "a new deal to keep North Sea oil flowing". The newspaper wants the complex system of tax allowances to be simplified, rates cut, and more risk-sharing between exploration companies and taxpayers.
For Striking Refinery Workers, Shell Shows a New Face
At tense meetings just days before the first major U.S. refinery strike in 35 years was called on Sunday, union leaders grew increasingly pessimistic about getting a new labor contract and a sizable wage increase. "The chances of there being an agreement are that of a snowball in hell," one of them complained as the deadline imposed by the expiring contract loomed. Officials from Royal Dutch Shell Plc…
Union workers Strike at Glencore Coal Mine
South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday its members had downed tools at the Koornfontein coal mine operated by Glencore in a dispute over pay. The NUM said in a statement the strike began on Friday after talks brokered by a government mediator were deadlocked. NUM regional secretary Stanley Lebello said around 600 of the union's members were taking part in the strike…
Unions Sign Wage Deals With S.Africa's Eskom
South Africa's Solidarity union said on Friday that it and two other major trade unions had signed two-year wage agreements with state-run utility Eskom that will see pay rises of 8.5 percent over the next two years. A source at the National Union of Mineworkers confirmed that it had signed up to the deal. Solidarity said the NUMSA union had also accepted the 8.5 percent offer. (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Joe Brock)
