 |
| Logo. |
The ongoing conflict between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has intensified, as the union has ordered its members to suspend the supply of gas and crude oil to the refinery in protest of the alleged mistreatment and dismissal of unionised employees.
In a directive issued from its National Secretariat to branch executives, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, accused the management of the refinery of targeting employees who had exercised their constitutional right to associate freely.
The union alleged that instead of seeking a peaceful resolution through dialogue, the company resorted to “misinformation and propaganda” to rationalise its decisions.
“The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to their decision to unionise. This illegitimacy cannot stand,” the union stated in its memo.
As a result of this directive, the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) unit was instructed to cease all gas supply to the Dangote Refinery without delay.
Additionally, valves controlling crude oil supply to the facility are to be shut off, and all vessel-loading operations intended for the refinery are to be suspended.
PENGASSAN further directed all branch chairmen involved to provide timely updates regarding the implementation of the directive.
This development represents the most recent escalation in the prolonged confrontation between PENGASSAN and the refinery.
Previously, the union’s Dangote Refinery Branch submitted a petition to its Lagos Zonal office, accusing the management of engaging in persistent anti-labour practices and economic exploitation, among other issues.
In the petition, signed by the Branch Chairman, Abdulfatai Muhammed, and the Branch Secretary, Eseoghene Choice, PENGASSAN outlined several grievances. These included the arbitrary redeployment of unionised workers, failure to provide personal protective equipment (PPE), inadequate staff welfare, salary discrimination, and the overwhelming presence of expatriates in top management roles.
The union also claimed that Nigerian engineers are paid significantly less than their counterparts in similar oil and gas firms, while foreign staff earn much higher wages and hold the majority of leadership positions. The petition added that engineers face hazardous work environments without receiving hazard allowances, health insurance, or adequate compensation.
PENGASSAN asserted that the refinery’s actions violate Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which protects freedom of association, and contravene the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
However, Dangote Refinery has previously denied allegations of mass layoffs and anti-labour practices. In an earlier statement, the company claimed it had not replaced Nigerian workers with foreigners. It stated that over 3,000 Nigerians are currently employed at the refinery.
The refinery’s management explained that the recent personnel changes were part of an internal reorganisation aimed at boosting productivity and operational effectiveness. It maintained that expatriates were hired solely for their technical expertise and to facilitate knowledge transfer, assuring the public that Nigerians still form the bulk of its workforce.
Nonetheless, PENGASSAN remains resolute in its stance, demanding urgent redress of the concerns raised. The union has urged government and regulatory bodies to step in immediately, warning that failure to resolve the dispute could destabilise Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and jeopardise the country’s energy security.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!