The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has distanced itself from the communiqué that ended its nationwide strike against the Dangote Refinery, stressing that its grievances remain unresolved.
The union suspended its four-day strike on Wednesday following Federal Government intervention but insisted the action was taken in good faith rather than out of satisfaction with the outcome.
At a press briefing in Abuja, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo maintained that the refinery must reinstate over 800 Nigerian workers allegedly sacked and replaced with foreign nationals. He cautioned that the strike could resume at any time if the management reneged on agreed resolutions.
“There are still grey areas. 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 some things in it were not okay with us,” Osifo said during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.
He clarified that the document was merely a statement issued by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, who chaired the conciliatory meeting.
Osifo dismissed reports that the union prioritised only check-off dues, stressing that its main concern was the welfare of members and the protection of Nigerian workers’ rights.
“Our priority was ensuring our members could return to work and provide for their families,” he explained, adding that the union successfully resisted Dangote Refinery’s claims of sabotage against the disengaged 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 have carried that stigma forever. Clearing that was a very big win,” Osifo said.
He emphasised that PENGASSAN’s struggle was about fairness and protection of Nigerian workers, not personal interest, and warned that the union would not hesitate to down tools again if its demands were ignored.
“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 here for 50 years before the Dangote Refinery came on stream,” he declared.
