By Kei Emmanuel Duku
National field staff working for Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), a Chinese oil company in Unity State, have protested the company’s decision to rush into a new contract with Kush Air, a local airline, for aviation services.
This decision follows last month’s crash of a Light Air Service aircraft (5X-RHB) in the Unity State oil field, which killed 20 GPOC staff members.
The national field staff claims that GPOC has already entered into an agreement with Kush Air, and it rejected any local airlines operating in South Sudan, citing safety concerns.
In a meeting held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, GPOC national field-based staff set conditions for the company to comply with safety standards. They urged GPOC to contract reputable international airlines, such as those from South Africa, Kenya, or Ethiopia, that adhere to global safety standards.
“GPOC’s top management should learn from the recent deadly plane crash that killed GPOC employees due to mechanical issues. Any flight company to be contracted must undergo a thorough verification process and be fully inspected by professional experts in the aviation industry, without interference from GPOC management.
The inspection and verification findings should inform the basis for awarding a contract to the new airline company,” read part of the meeting’s resolutions.
However, this publication was unable to verify the claims made by the GPOC national field staff against Kush Air with the company’s management.
The staff further stated that if a contract with a new airline company is issued, GPOC national field staff union representatives, the security department, human resources, and other relevant departments should ensure all safety measures are adhered to by scrutinizing the contract before the airline begins operations.
The national staff stipulated that the contracted airline should be used exclusively for GPOC operations, not for other private businesses and that the aircraft must remain on standby when not in use for crew changes.
Mourning the loss of their colleagues in the recent plane crash, the national field staff threatened not to board any flight contracted by management without their prior approval.
“We will remain at our duty stations/work locations and continue our normal duties, even if a flight is sent from Juba. We will not go to the airstrip if any plane is hired without conforming to international standards,” the resolutions concluded.
During the meeting, GPOC national field staff agreed that all booking processes for Juba and field staff should be suspended until the management of GPOC adheres to the safety measures.
The staff also urged GPOC’s top management to upgrade and tarmac the Unity State airstrips and rehabilitate the Unity Oil field access road connecting to the Rukbona airstrip, a seasonal road that is inaccessible during the rainy season.
The national field staff have given GPOC management two weeks to implement these resolutions, with consequences for non-compliance.