The Federal Government has urged the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend its planned nationwide strike over an industrial dispute with Dangote Refinery. Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, stressing that a strike could inflict severe revenue losses and worsen hardship for Nigerians.
Dingyadi said the ministry had already invited PENGASSAN leadership and Dangote Refinery management to a conciliation meeting in his office on Monday. “I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of her economy. A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses for the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians,” he said.
PENGASSAN had on Saturday declared a nationwide strike following the dismissal of some Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery. Its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, described the action as a breach of labour laws, the Constitution, and international conventions. The union directed members across field locations to withdraw their services from Sunday, September 28, while those in offices and agencies were to join from Monday, September 29.
In response, the Dangote Group accused PENGASSAN of attempting to sabotage the refinery and disrupt fuel supply to Nigerians. It dismissed reports that 800 Nigerians had been replaced with 2,000 Indians, insisting over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the facility.
The company further accused the union of a history of resistance to reforms, citing its opposition to the 2007 Federal Government deal to sell Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries to a Dangote-led consortium, and other corporate actions in the energy sector.
The dispute adds to long-standing tensions between oil unions and the refinery. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had earlier accused the refinery of refusing to recognise workers’ rights, a matter previously addressed in the presence of federal ministers and security officials.
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