TUC Accuses Dangote Refinery of Undermining Workers’ Rights

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has accused the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals of attempting to override the Nigerian Constitution to maximise profit, warning that workers’ rights cannot be compromised.

Oyo State TUC Chairman, Bosun Olabiyi, who is also a former national officer of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), said while Nigerians appreciate Aliko Dangote’s $20 billion investment in the oil and gas sector, such investment does not grant him powers above the law.

According to Olabiyi, Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98 guarantee workers the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. “No investor is bigger than Nigerian law. If companies like Total, Chevron, Shell, and NNPC operate with unions, there is no reason why Dangote should be different,” he said.

Olabiyi explained that workers at the refinery had long raised concerns over welfare and conditions of service, prompting them to seek representation under PENGASSAN. He stressed that the right to unionise is legal and cannot be denied by any employment contract.

He recalled similar disputes, such as the Baker Hughes case in 2016, where rulings by the Federal Ministry of Labour and the National Industrial Court upheld workers’ rights to unionise.

Rejecting claims that unions stifle business, Olabiyi argued that organised labour fosters dialogue, fairness, and stability. “Unions have not crippled Total, Chevron, or NLNG. Unionisation will not kill Dangote Refinery either,” he said.

The TUC urged the Dangote Group to embrace collective bargaining in line with industry tradition and appealed to the government to ensure compliance with labour laws. Olabiyi concluded that profit cannot come at the expense of workers’ welfare, calling for solidarity across the labour movement.