The Federal Government has appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shelve its planned nationwide strike scheduled to begin on Monday over its dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal in a statement on Sunday, assuring that the government has initiated steps to mediate between the two parties to prevent further escalation of the crisis.
According to the statement signed by the Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, Dingyadi revealed that both PENGASSAN leadership and the management of Dangote Refinery have been invited to an emergency conciliation meeting in his office on Monday.
The Minister urged the union to withdraw its strike notice in the interest of peace and national stability.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of our economy. A strike will not only result in huge revenue losses but also inflict more hardship on Nigerians. It will negatively affect both economic stability and national security,” Dingyadi stated.
He further assured that the government is committed to resolving the dispute amicably in line with national interest.
PENGASSAN had, in a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, directed its members nationwide to withdraw their services over the alleged mass dismissal of Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery.
The union accused the refinery of violating labour laws, the Nigerian Constitution, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions by sacking workers for joining the association. It further alleged that the dismissed workers were replaced with “over 2,000 Indians,” describing the move as “an affront to all Nigerian workers.”
PENGASSAN consequently ordered a total nationwide shutdown across oil and gas companies, government institutions, and agencies beginning Monday.
In response, Dangote Refinery denied the allegations, insisting that the recent reorganisation was aimed at preventing acts of sabotage within the facility.
The company said the decision was taken in the best interest of safety and efficiency, noting that intermittent sabotage in several units of the refinery had posed serious risks to human lives and operations.
“This exercise is not arbitrary. It became necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that threatened safety and disrupted operations,” the refinery’s management stated on Friday.
The refinery has recently faced friction with oil and gas unions over labour rights, safety standards, and product distribution, raising concerns about industrial relations in the sector.
