Labour tensions are rising again in Gabon’s oil sector after a union representing petroleum workers filed a notice of an indefinite strike targeting contractors operating on TotalEnergies facilities in the country’s oil hub of Port-Gentil.
The Union of Employees, Ex-Employees and Retirees of Petroleum and Related Activities (SEERPAC) said on Monday it had formally submitted a strike notice to Dietsmann Gabon, Petroleum Services Gabon (PSG) and TotalEnergies EP Gabon, citing salary, legal and social grievances linked to the provision of staff.
In a letter dated January 12, the union announced a ten-day notice period running until January 22 at 11:59 p.m., in line with Gabonese labour regulations. SEERPAC said its action was grounded in Article 379 of the Labour Code and Law No. 20/2007 governing the hiring-out of workers.
The union accused the companies of violating workers’ rights and fostering what it described as growing job insecurity among contractor staff deployed on TotalEnergies-operated sites.
According to SEERPAC, employees of Dietsmann Gabon and PSG allege discriminatory pay conditions compared with staff directly employed by TotalEnergies EP Gabon, despite performing similar duties on the same installations.
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“The workers believe their rights are being flouted,” the union said, pointing to what it described as unequal salary treatment and deteriorating social conditions.
At the centre of the dispute are two key demands. The first calls for the alignment — with retroactive effect — of salaries, bonuses and allowances paid to contractor employees with the pay scale applied at TotalEnergies EP Gabon, as provided for under the law regulating the provision of personnel. The second demand seeks the direct hiring by the oil operator of workers currently seconded to its sites, bases and workshops.
SEERPAC argues that the current arrangement violates Article 9 of the Labour Code, which prohibits discrimination between employees, and says subcontracting practices have been used to bypass statutory protections.
The union said that if the strike goes ahead, a minimum service covering 40 percent of operations would be maintained, in accordance with Article 385 of the Labour Code. This provision is intended to ensure continuity at installations operating on a continuous production cycle.
Even with minimum service in place, industry observers warn that an extended strike could disrupt oil activity in Port-Gentil, Gabon’s economic capital and the heart of its hydrocarbons sector.
Oil remains a strategic pillar of the Gabonese economy, accounting for a significant share of export earnings and government revenue. Any prolonged disruption could therefore have broader economic implications.
Neither TotalEnergies EP Gabon nor the affected subcontractors immediately responded to requests for comment.
Unless talks are held quickly and yield concrete concessions, the strike notice risks opening a new social front in a sector that has historically been prone to labour unrest and remains critical to Gabon’s economic stability.
