The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has raised alarm over the dismissal of 800 Nigerian workers by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, alleging that the decision was tied to unionisation efforts.
According to the association, the company recruited over 2,000 expatriates from India to replace the sacked employees.
However, the management of the refinery denied the claims, stressing that only a limited number of staff were let go due to “repeated sabotage” affecting safety and operations.
Dangote’s Explanation
In a statement released on Friday, the company said its reorganisation drive was necessary to protect the multi-billion-dollar facility.
“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify recent reports concerning the ongoing reorganisation within its facility. This exercise is not arbitrary. It has become necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency,” the statement read.
The company maintained that more than 3,000 Nigerians were still employed, with fresh recruitment ongoing through graduate trainee schemes and experienced hire programmes.
Union’s Position
General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa, insisted that the dismissals were targeted at employees who joined the union.
“When the witch cries in the night and the baby dies in the morning, what do you expect?” he asked rhetorically.
“As of Thursday, the workers actually completed the process of unionisation as directed by the Federal Government. So, over 800 agreed to join the union. The management went to do headcounts, and they found out that these guys voluntarily joined; the next thing we saw was the sack letter, firing all Nigerian staff,” Okugbawa alleged.
He accused the refinery of discrimination, lamenting that expatriates were retained while Nigerians were sent home.
Threat of Action
PENGASSAN said it had convened an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council to decide on possible picketing or protests despite a subsisting court order restraining industrial action.
“We have engaged with the affected workers. We told them to remain steadfast; we are on top of the matter. We want to engage stakeholders, but if they don’t see reason, we will explore every constitutional power available to us,” Okugbawa said.
He added that the dismissal violated the Labour Act and the Trade Union Act, which guarantee workers’ rights to fair treatment and association.
Call for Reversal
The association urged the refinery to recall all affected workers or face legal and industrial actions.
okay.ng reports that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery emphasised its commitment to international labour standards and promised to continue creating “decent, sustainable jobs” for Nigerians.
