NO AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH DANGOTE REFINERY, STRIKE MAY RESUME – PENGASSAN
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By Sunmisola Shodayo
The Senior Staff Association for Petroleum and Natural Gas of Nigeria has clarified 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, but emphasized that its issues were not entirely resolved.
PENGASSAN accused the refinery of unlawfully dismissing over 800 Nigerian employees and allegedly substituting them with more than 2,000 Indian nationals.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo cautioned that the strike could recommence without prior notice if the refinery did not adhere to the resolutions.
Osifo acknowledged the presence of “grey areas” in the communiqué but emphasized that the union suspended the action in good faith.
In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Osifo clarified that the document presented at the meeting was not a binding agreement.
“If you see that communiqué, we did not sign it. Normally, it is supposed to be signed by three parties. We did not sign because we felt that some things in it were not okay with us, he stated.
He further observed that the communiqué was primarily a statement from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, who functioned as the chief mediator.
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“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 affirmed that PENGASSAN’s position remains that the management of the refinery should immediately reinstate the dismissed workers.
He revealed that Dangote initially resisted reemploying the terminated workers until government intervention prompted a compromise, rejecting the refinery’s allegations 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 efforts are not driven by self-interest but rather by the need to safeguard Nigerian workers whose employment was abruptly terminated for exercising their right to association.
He warned that PENGASSAN would not hesitate to initiate industrial action if the issues remain unaddressed.
““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 asserted.
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