Gabon Oil Workers’ Strike Cost $131 Million Loss, Union Says

A four-day strike by oil workers in Gabon cost the government and two main oil companies 60 billion CFA francs ($131 million) in lost revenue, according to the labor union that organized the walkout.

The strike, which started April 1, halted the operations of Total SA (FP)’s Gabon unit and Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA)’s branch in the central African nation, according to Guy Aurat Reteno, head of the National Organization of Oil Employees, who spoke on national radio today.

“The strike by ONEP recalls once again the dominance of the oil sector in the national economy,” he said. The strike ended yesterday after reaching a deal with the government over alleged illegal workers in the industry. Total and Shell both said they resumed operations after the dispute ended.

A previous strike in 2008 cost an estimated 6 billion francs, Aurat Reteno said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Antoine Lawson in Libreville via Accra at ebowers1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net.