Nigeria may face a fresh wave of fuel scarcity as members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday continued their nationwide strike, following the breakdown of talks with the Federal Government, organised labour, and the Dangote Group.
The union halted fuel loading operations at depots across the country on Monday in protest against what it described as Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s attempt to bar workers from unionising.
Negotiations held late Monday night in Abuja ended abruptly after Sayyu Dantata, who represented the Dangote Group, reportedly walked out during discussions with Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi, union leaders, and other stakeholders.
The meeting, co-chaired by Dingyadi and Minister of State for Labour Nkeiru Onyejeocha, was attended by senior NUPENG officials, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), as well as representatives from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, MRS Petroleum, and the Dangote Group.
Briefing reporters afterwards, Dingyadi admitted that the parties had failed to reach a resolution.
“There are issues we have not been able to reach a final agreement on. Since it was getting late and some participants were travelling to Lagos, we had to call off the meeting until tomorrow. But I am confident that by tomorrow, we should be able to resolve these issues,” he said.
But the NLC accused the Dangote representative of deliberately stalling progress.
“Even when we bent backwards to accommodate his uncompromising behaviour, he still walked out. We are left with no option but to do the needful. The strike action continues,” said NLC Acting Secretary Benson Upah.
NUPENG President Williams Akporeha also alleged that Dangote was attempting to “enslave” refinery workers.
“We cannot stand by and see an investor monopolise not just the system but even the workers. Nigerians have wished him well, but we will not allow him to enslave them,” Akporeha said.
The NLC had earlier accused Dangote companies of “crude and dangerous anti-union practices” that violate Nigeria’s Constitution, the Labour Act, and International Labour Organisation conventions.
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has also threatened to suspend fuel lifting and dispensing from Tuesday, September 9, after issuing a three-day notice.
By Monday morning, there was widespread compliance with the strike directive across depots in Lagos, Rivers, and Warri, with gates shut at Aiteo, RainOil, Shell+, First Royal, Matrix, and several others.
Although fuel scarcity was not immediately felt on Monday, stakeholders warned that the prolonged shutdown of depots would inevitably disrupt supply across the country in the coming days.
