The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has openly declared its solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) as tensions mount over the unionisation of tanker drivers and employees of the Dangote refinery.
This development follows NUPENG’s announcement of a planned suspension of fuel loading activities nationwide, citing allegations that the management of the Dangote refinery is preventing tanker drivers employed for its 4,000 trucks from joining the union.
In a statement issued on Monday, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, emphasized that the association would not stand idly by while workers’ rights were being trampled.
He stated: “On behalf of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, we are writing to express our unwavering solidarity with our ally and sister union, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, in their ongoing efforts to secure the rights of tanker drivers who are currently being hired at the Dangote Refinery.”
okay.ng reports that the association cautioned that if the dispute remains unresolved, it might be forced to take drastic measures, including a shutdown of operations at the refinery.
PENGASSAN further accused the refinery of consistently resisting unionisation since its inception despite multiple diplomatic interventions. According to the union, such resistance contravenes both Nigerian labour laws and the principles of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The statement partly read: “We wish to put on record that Dangote refinery management has been resisting potential members of both PENGASSAN and NUPENG from joining the Association since its inception. All diplomatic efforts to persuade the company’s management have so far not yielded the desired result. It is with deep concern that PENGASSAN observes the increasing resistance to unionisation at the Dangote refinery, as the continued denial of workers’ rights will no longer be tolerated going forward.”
The union reaffirmed its commitment to NUPENG’s demand for total unionisation across all levels of the refinery’s workforce, stressing that this right is fundamental to ensuring workplace safety, fairness, and dignity.
It called on all stakeholders to embrace immediate and constructive dialogue, warning that failure to respect workers’ rights could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Muhammadu Dingyadi, has summoned a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja to address the crisis and avert possible disruption.
