The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is standing firm on its demand for the reinstatement of more than 800 Nigerian workers recently dismissed from the Dangote Refinery. According to the union, the mass sack has jeopardized not just the livelihoods of these individuals, but also their future in the oil and gas sector.
Following a nine-hour conciliation meeting convened by the Federal Government on Monday, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, announced that talks had ended in a deadlock. “Unfortunately, there is no solution for now,” he said, adding, “All we want is that the 800-plus people who were sent home be reinstated. These people are fathers and mothers, and their careers are at stake.”
Osifo raised serious concerns about the long-term impact of the dismissals, especially with some workers being labeled as “saboteurs,” a tag he says could blacklist them from future employment within the sector.
“If they go home like that, there is no other company in Nigeria that will employ them,” Osifo explained. “These are careers that will be damaged if proper remedy is not put in place.”
He emphasized that the union’s ongoing strike would not be called off unless the dismissed workers are brought back. “Our position is clear: reinstate them now and we will call off the strike. But that has not happened. So, as it stands, the strike continues.”
The Dangote Group has acknowledged the termination of the workers, according to Osifo, and confirmed that dismissal letters had been issued — documents that have since surfaced in the media.
Meanwhile, Labour and Employment Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Dingyadi, who chaired the meeting, confirmed that two main issues remain unresolved: the reinstatement of the workers and the right to unionize.
“We have made a lot of progress and we are optimistic that by later today, when we resume by 2 p.m., we should be able to arrive at a resolution,” Dingyadi told reporters early Tuesday.
Also present at the meeting was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who expressed concern about the broader economic implications of the ongoing strike.
“We need to limit the damage of this action to the economy,” Edun said. “We need gas flowing, we need crude flowing as inputs into production. We do not want the current momentum of growth to be broken.”
As negotiations are set to continue, the Federal Government remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached — one that brings an end to the strike and stabilizes the sector, while also addressing the concerns of the affected workers.
Meanwhile,
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a strong call to arms, directing all its affiliate unions to prepare for immediate industrial action against the Dangote Group. The move comes in response to what the NLC describes as gross violations of labour rights by the conglomerate.
In an internal memo signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and circulated on Monday, the union accuses the Dangote Refinery of dismissing workers for exercising their constitutional right to unionise. The memo describes the company’s operations as “plantations of exploitation” where profit is prioritised over human dignity.
“The Dangote Group has operated for too long as a state within a state, flouting Section 40 of our Constitution, violating ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and treating our national labour laws with contempt,” the memo stated.
“The time for pleading and endless, fruitless dialogue is over. The moment for decisive, collective action is now.”
The NLC has instructed all its affiliated unions to immediately mobilise for what it called a “vigorous and comprehensive unionisation” of all workers across Dangote facilities. Unions are expected to set up Action Mobilisation Committees and coordinate directly with the NLC’s national secretariat within 72 hours.
The NLC is demanding that the Dangote Group cease all union-busting tactics and fully respect workers’ rights to freedom of association. It also calls for the mobilisation of resources to back what it described as a “full-scale, decisive engagement” with the company.
“Unity of purpose and action is non-negotiable,” the memo emphasized.
“The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with the resistance of organised labour.”
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has already taken action in solidarity. The union ordered its members to block gas supply to the Dangote Refinery, citing the dismissal of union members and the refinery’s alleged dissemination of false information.
PENGASSAN has also instructed a nationwide withdrawal of services beginning midnight, September 28, in protest of what it called anti-labour practices and discrimination against Nigerian workers. The growing unrest has prompted the federal government to step in.
Government and Parliament Urge Restraint
In a swift response, the Dangote Group condemned PENGASSAN’s actions as illegal, asserting that the union has no legal right to interfere with third-party supply contracts. The company called on the federal government and security agencies to intervene, warning that disruptions could have serious economic consequences.
Over the weekend, both the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and the Ministry of Labour and Employment urged PENGASSAN to suspend its planned strike. Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi said reconciliation efforts were already underway to defuse the crisis.
Despite these appeals, PENGASSAN on Monday shut down major entry points of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
With tensions escalating and the threat of a nationwide strike looming, all eyes are now on the federal government’s ability to broker peace between organised labour and the Dangote Group.
