Due to an ongoing conflict between the two, the Federal Government has called an emergency meeting today with the management of Dangote Refinery and the leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENSASSAN).
Given that Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company launched a strike on Sunday, the labor conflict between the company and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) may have gotten worse.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), PENGASSAN’s parent organization, has entered the battle and given Dangote Group a list of demands that could force the oil and gas union to halt the strike.
In a statement, TUC General Secretary Dr. Nuhu Toro condemned Dangote Refinery’s alleged anti-worker practices and stated that the strike action was justifiable.
The immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all impacted employees, a public apology from Dangote management accompanied by resolute guarantees against future victimization, and the requirement for an independent investigation into the refinery’s labor practices involving the Ministry of Labor, ILO, and stakeholders are some of the demands made by TUC.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) firmly condemns the recent anti-worker acts of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery management, especially the arbitrary termination of employees for exercising their constitutional right to unionization and freedom of association, Toro said on Sunday.
“We fully support the impacted employees and their union, PENGASSAN, our affiliate, whose members have been persecuted for just registering as members. Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s obligations under International Labour Organization (ILO) treaties are directly attacked by such actions.
In the event that Dangote management does not meet these requests in a reasonable amount of time, Congress hereby puts all affiliates on standby for a nationwide industrial action.
“No company will be permitted to violate the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers, regardless of their size or level of income. The TUC is unified and prepared to take immediate action to protect its members and the Nigerian labor sector.
The Federal Government, however, has urged PENSASSAN to reevaluate its planned strike that would begin today due to its disagreement with Dangote Refinery.
Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, the minister of labor and employment, made this appeal on Sunday, stating that his ministry has taken action to invite the parties to a roundtable in order to prevent their disagreement from getting worse.
Dingyadi revealed that invitations have been sent to the management of Dangote Refinery and the leadership of PENGASSAN to attend an emergency meeting in his office today in order to resolve their disagreement.
In order for his ministry to mediate the conflict in a calm setting, the minister urged PENGASSAN’s leadership to revoke the strike proclamation.
Dingyadi went on to say: “The management of Dangote Refinery and the leadership of PENGASSAN have been invited to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday by the Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations.
“As the backbone of the nation’s economy, I implore all parties to keep in mind the significance of the petroleum industry. In addition to causing significant financial losses for the nation, a strike would make life more difficult for Nigerians. As a result, it will negatively affect national security as well as economic stability.
With the assurance that the Federal Government would settle the conflict amicably to the satisfaction of all parties and in the best interests of the country, the minister asked the warring parties to give peace a chance.
In a similar event, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has criticized PENGASSAN’s action to cut off the refinery’s supplies of gas and crude oil, calling it illegal.
It cautioned that taking such action against the corporation may cause the government to suffer significant income losses and send the entire nation into another bout of fuel shortages.
In a statement, the Dangote Group’s management criticized the strike threats, calling them not only illegal but also “reckless and an act of economic sabotage.”
The production and national supply of essential petroleum products, such as cooking gas, kerosene, diesel, gasoline, and aviation fuel, would be disrupted, according to the report.
Dangote asserts that these goods are essential to daily living and the economy, cautioning that shortages will disproportionately affect Nigerians across all spheres of society, from households to businesses and industries.
A sudden interruption in supply will cause millions of Nigerians to endure unbearable hardship, the refinery added.
Aviation fuel, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and cooking gas are just a few of the goods that would be interrupted and halted. These goods are needed and utilized by Nigerians of all backgrounds, whether they are wealthy and powerful or poor and common. Under what situations would PENGASSAN be justified in upsetting Nigerians’ lives and causing them unimaginable hardship? None that we can observe.
