Nigerian Unions Threaten Shutdown as Dangote Refinery Faces Labor Dispute

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared their support for the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in its dispute with the management of Dangote Refinery. The unions are protesting what they describe as the company’s anti-union practices, which they say violate workers’ rights.

NUPENG had previously called for a strike by its members, alleging that Dangote Group was preventing its newly recruited compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers from joining labor unions. PENGASSAN, in a statement by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, accused Dangote management of resisting potential members of both unions. PENGASSAN has vowed to join NUPENG in a total shutdown of the refinery if the issue is not resolved. Similarly, the TUC has warned Dangote to stop “treating Nigerian workers as slaves” and threatened a total solidarity action by its affiliates across the country.

In response to the escalating tension, Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, convened an emergency meeting in Abuja. The high-level meeting brought together key stakeholders, including national executives of NUPENG, officials from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC, and representatives of the Dangote Group, in a bid to avert a major industrial crisis that could disrupt the nation’s petroleum sector.