As FG brokers truce over dispute
THE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced the suspension of its nationwide strike against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, stressing that the action was taken strictly out of respect for the Federal Government and its institutions involved in the conciliation process.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, made it clear that the union was dissatisfied with the terms of the agreement brokered between the parties, particularly as it failed to address their key demand, which is the immediate reinstatement of over 800 Nigerian workers allegedly sacked by the refinery.
He warned that the union would not hesitate to resume the suspended strike without notice if the Dangote management defaults on its commitments.
The Federal Government had, on Tuesday, brokered a truce between PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The truce was contained in a communiqué issued and signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari-Dingyadi, at the end of a two-day conciliation meeting and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
The meeting, which was held on Monday and Tuesday, brought together the National Security Adviser (NSA), Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and State for Petroleum (Gas), alongside the DSS, NIA, NNPCL, NMDPRA, NUPRC and labour leaders.
However, PENGASSAN President said: ‘We are not happy with the terms of the agreement because it did not capture our main demand of recalling the 800 sacked Nigerians. But out of respect for government institutions, for the National Security Adviser, the DSS, the Chief Reconciliator of the Federation, and ministers who worked tirelessly into the early hours of the morning to mediate, we decided to suspend the action. However, let me be clear: if Dangote fails to keep its part, we will resume immediately, without any warning.’
The union leader expressed deep reservations about the sincerity of the refinery management, saying PENGASSAN has ‘mutual suspicion’ that Dangote will attempt to renege on the deal. ‘We know that Dangote does not play by the rules or respect agreements. We believe and suspect that some of the promises extracted during the negotiations will not be honoured. But because we respect due process and institutions of government, we will give them that benefit of doubt. Yet, any breach will be met with severe and immediate response,’ he said.
Responding to widespread allegations that the union’s insistence on reinstating the 800 sacked workers was driven by a desire to secure check-off dues, Osifo dismissed the claims as ‘laughable and mischievous.’ According to him, the salaries of the affected workers are meagre compared to the earnings of PENGASSAN members in other multinational oil companies, making such accusations baseless.
‘So we clearly ask, is it because of check-off dues that PENGASSAN went on strike? The salaries being paid to these 800 members, if you add them all together, are less than what 20 of our members earn in companies like Chevron, TotalEnergies, or ExxonMobil. Their check-off dues are not even up to the check-off dues of our least-paid members elsewhere. So why should we be chasing this because of dues? It is actually about the freedom of association and the welfare of our members, because when we enter organisations, we improve conditions of service, and that is why workers subscribe to us,’ he explained.
Osifo further argued that PENGASSAN had a long record of defending workers’ rights without stifling the companies where its members operate, citing the example of Shell, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil which have thrived despite having thousands of PENGASSAN members. ‘At one time, Shell had over 10,000 of our members, and they invested more than $200 billion in Nigeria. Did we kill Shell? Instead, we assisted Shell, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil to grow. We are not out to kill Dangote Refinery, which has barely invested $20 billion. That narrative is false,’ he said.
He stressed that the oil and gas workforce has carried the burden of Nigeria’s economy for decades, providing over 90 percent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings. ‘We know who we are and what we stand for. We are patriots who love this country more than any single individual, and that is why, despite our reservations, we chose to suspend this strike in deference to government efforts,’ Osifo maintained.
While thanking the government officials and agencies that intervened in the dispute, he reiterated PENGASSAN’s vigilance. ‘We will be monitoring closely. Any slip, any breach, any part of this agreement that is not kept, we will not issue further notice. We will not give any warning. We will resume the suspended industrial action immediately. That is our resolution,’ he warned.
Osifo concluded by affirming that PENGASSAN’s struggle is not against progress but against injustice, and that the union will remain steadfast in defending the rights and welfare of its members, no matter whose interest is at stake.
It will be recalled that the conciliation was convened after PENGASSAN directed its members to stop gas supply and withdraw services from the refinery.
The union had accused the company of terminating the employment of more than 800 of its members, which triggered the industrial action.
Dangote Refinery, however, explained that the disengagement of workers was due to an ongoing restructuring exercise in the company.
According to the communiqué, the meeting resolved that unionisation is a fundamental right of workers under Nigerian law and must be respected by the company.
It was further agreed that the management of Dangote Group should immediately begin the redeployment of the affected workers into other subsidiaries within the group without any loss of pay.
The meeting also resolved that no worker would be victimised for participating in the dispute between PENGASSAN and the company.
PENGASSAN in turn agreed to commence the process of calling off its strike, while both parties pledged to implement the resolutions in good faith.