The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has directed management of oil company MODEC to reinstate workers it dismissed, within 24 hours, or prepare to face possible strike by workers in the oil and gas industry.

Last night MODEC dismissed 27 workers who participated in a sit down strike on the offshore vessel FPSO Kwame Nkrumah last month. The workers were demanding better conditions of service in the face of huge pay disparity between them and expatriate workers offering the same services.

An agreement was reached and the workers resumed work, only to be served with letters of dismissal weeks later, but earlier today all Ghanaian MODEC workers abandoned work in solidarity with their dismissed colleagues.

The General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of TUC says it’s preparing to escalate the current labour unrest in the oil and gas front if the 27 workers are not reinstated.

As at Tuesday afternoon, a meeting was underway in Accra on the matter.

Deputy General Secretary of the Union, Francis Sallah told Joy News’ Fred Smith, MODEC has disrespected the memorandum of understanding it signed with the workers on 30^th October 2014.

He was baffled by the dismissal, explaining that the affected workers only “protested peacefully against their current condition”.

He said management would immediately be served with a letter demanding reinstatement of their colleagues. “If we don’t get a response from them today, then we will have to activate our next line of action,” he warned without mentioning specifically what kind of action they will take.

Another disappointed worker, Patrick Ahiadzi insisted that MODEC would have to carry out unconditional reinstatement.