No agreement signed with Dangote Refinery, strike may resume – PENGASSAN
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has made it clear that it did not endorse the communiqué that concluded its nationwide strike against the Dangote refinery.
The union halted its strike, which commenced on Sunday, on Wednesday following the intervention of the Federal Government; however, it maintained that its issues were not entirely resolved.
PENGASSAN accused the refinery of unlawfully terminating the employment of over 800 Nigerian workers and allegedly substituting them with more than 2,000 Indian workers.
During a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo cautioned that the strike could be reinstated without prior notice if the refinery does not comply with the resolutions.
Osifo acknowledged the existence of “grey areas” in the communiqué but emphasized that the union suspended the strike in good faith.
In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Osifo clarified that the document presented during the meeting was not a formal agreement.
“If you examine that communiqué, we did not sign it. Typically, it should be signed by three parties. We refrained from signing because we believed that certain aspects of it were not acceptable to us,” he stated.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has made it clear that it did not endorse the communiqué that concluded its nationwide strike against the Dangote refinery.
The union halted its strike, which commenced on Sunday, on Wednesday following the intervention of the Federal Government, yet it maintained that its issues were not entirely resolved.
PENGASSAN accused the refinery of unlawfully terminating the employment of over 800 Nigerian workers and allegedly substituting them with more than 2,000 Indian nationals.
During a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo cautioned that the strike could be reinstated without prior notice if the refinery does not comply with the resolutions.
Osifo acknowledged the existence of “grey areas” in the communiqué but emphasized that the union suspended the strike in good faith.
In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Osifo clarified that the document presented during the meeting was not a formal agreement.
“If you examine that communiqué, we did not sign it. Typically, it should be signed by three parties. We refrained from signing because we believed that certain aspects of it were not acceptable to us,” he stated.
He also pointed out that the communiqué was simply a statement from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, who served as the chief conciliator.
“When we subjected it to our NEC, we had to decide on priorities. Some media houses claimed we were only interested in check-off dues. That is false. What we prioritised was how our members would return to work and provide for their families.”
Osifo said PENGASSAN’s position remains that the refinery management should immediately reinstate the sacked workers.
He disclosed that Dangote initially refused to reabsorb the disengaged workers until the government intervened and pushed for a compromise, dismissing the refinery’s claims of sabotage by the affected employees.
“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. We are not perturbed in any way.”
Osifo added that the union’s struggle was not about self-interest but about protecting Nigerian workers whose employments were abruptly terminated for exercising their right to association.
He warned that PENGASSAN would not hesitate to resume industrial action if the issues were not addressed.
“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.
