The Federal Government has appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend its planned nationwide strike over a labour dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal on Sunday, stressing that the Ministry has initiated steps to bring both parties to the table to prevent an escalation of the crisis.
In a statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, the Minister said invitations had been sent to PENGASSAN leaders and Dangote Refinery management to attend an emergency conciliation meeting in his office on Monday.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of her economy. A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequentially, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security,” Dingyadi said.
He urged the union to withdraw its strike notice to allow for peaceful resolution, assuring that the Federal Government was committed to addressing the matter “amicably to the satisfaction of all parties and in the national interest.”
Strike Notice
PENGASSAN had, in a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, directed members nationwide to down tools from Sunday and commence a total shutdown across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies from Monday.
The union accused Dangote Refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions by allegedly dismissing workers for joining the association. It further alleged that the refinery replaced the affected staff with “over 2,000 Indians,” describing the move as “an affront to all workers in Nigeria.”
Dangote’s Response
Dangote Refinery, however, denied the allegations, insisting that the recent restructuring was not arbitrary but a necessary step to tackle recurring sabotage within the 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 foregoing decision was taken in the best interest of the refinery as a result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns,” the management said in a Friday statement.
The Dangote facility has in recent months faced growing friction with oil and gas unions over labour rights, safety standards, and product distribution.
