The Federal Government has appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shelve its planned strike scheduled to begin on Monday over its ongoing dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, in a statement on Sunday, revealed that the Ministry has initiated moves to bring both parties to the negotiation table in order to prevent the crisis from escalating.
According to the statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry, Patience Onuobia, invitations have been extended to PENGASSAN leaders and Dangote Refinery management for an emergency conciliation meeting in the Minister’s office on Monday.
Dingyadi urged the union to suspend its strike directive to enable peaceful dialogue, warning that an industrial action in the petroleum sector could cripple the economy, deepen the hardship faced by Nigerians, and threaten national security.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to our nation’s economy. A strike will not only result in huge revenue losses but also cause untold hardship for Nigerians,” he said.
Union’s Strike Notice
PENGASSAN had, on Saturday, issued a strike notice after an emergency National Executive Council meeting, alleging that Dangote Refinery dismissed Nigerian workers for joining the union and replaced them with over 2,000 expatriates.
The union described the action as a violation of Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions. It directed members nationwide to withdraw their services, beginning with a shutdown of field operations on Sunday and a total nationwide strike from Monday.
Dangote Refinery’s Response
In its reaction, Dangote Refinery denied the allegations of arbitrary sackings, stating that the recent restructuring was a necessary measure to tackle repeated cases of sabotage and address safety concerns.
“The exercise was not arbitrary. It became imperative to protect the refinery from recurring acts of sabotage that threatened safety and reduced operational efficiency,” the company said in a Friday statement signed by its management.
The refinery, which has been under scrutiny over labour practices and safety issues, insisted the decision was in the best interest of its operations and workers.
