The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has clarified that it did not sign the communiqué that temporarily halted its nationwide strike against the Dangote Refinery, warning that the industrial action could resume at any time.
The union had suspended its strike on Wednesday after the intervention of the Federal Government, following days of disruption that began on Sunday. However, union leaders stressed that their concerns were not fully addressed.
PENGASSAN accused the Dangote Refinery of sacking over 800 Nigerian workers without due process and allegedly replacing them with more than 2,000 Indian expatriates.
Union Leaders Speak Out
Speaking in Abuja at a press briefing, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo stated that the suspension of the strike was done in good faith but insisted there were unresolved issues.
“If you see that communiqué, we did not sign it. Normally, it is supposed to be signed by three parties. We did not sign because we felt that some things in it were not okay with us,” Osifo said.
He explained further during a Thursday interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, stressing that the document presented after the meeting was merely a statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, who acted as the chief conciliator.
Protection of Workers’ Rights
Osifo revealed that Dangote initially refused to reinstate the sacked employees until the federal government intervened. He dismissed claims by the refinery that the disengaged workers had sabotaged its operations.
“The release that Dangote made on workers sabotaging the economy was totally incorrect. If we had allowed that sabotage tag to stand, those 800 people would not be able to secure jobs in the future. That stigma would remain forever. Clearing that was a very big win,” he said.
The PENGASSAN president emphasized that the struggle was not about the union’s financial benefits but about protecting Nigerian workers whose rights had been infringed upon.
Strike May Resume
Osifo warned that unless the refinery management addressed the outstanding issues, the strike could resume without notice.
“If Dangote does not do the needful, our tools are always available. We will never get tired of struggling for what is right. We have been around for 50 years before the Dangote Refinery came on stream,” he declared.
okay.ng reports that PENGASSAN’s position remains firm on reinstating all dismissed workers and ensuring fair treatment of Nigerian employees in the oil and gas sector.
