By Peter Omopo
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has thrown its weight behind the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in the escalating row over workers’ unionisation at the Dangote Refinery.
NUPENG had earlier announced plans to halt fuel loading operations, accusing the refinery of preventing its newly recruited tanker drivers—estimated at 4,000—from joining the union.
In a statement on Monday, PENGASSAN General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, declared “unwavering solidarity” with NUPENG, warning that it may be forced to shut down refinery operations if the dispute lingers.
“Should the ongoing situation persist without a resolution, PENGASSAN will be left with no option but to join in shutting down the refinery operations as a last resort to protect our members’ rights and interests,” Okugbawa said.
The association accused Dangote Refinery management of resisting unionisation since inception, despite several attempts at dialogue.
“All diplomatic efforts to persuade the company’s management have so far not yielded the desired result,” the statement read. “The continued denial of workers’ rights will no longer be tolerated.”
PENGASSAN reaffirmed support for NUPENG’s demand for full unionisation across the refinery and its affiliates, stressing that the right of workers to organise is both a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of Nigerian labour law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles.
The union also urged stakeholders to open immediate dialogue to prevent an industrial crisis that could disrupt fuel supply nationwide.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Muhammadu Dingyadi, has summoned all parties to a meeting in Abuja in a bid to defuse the standoff.
