The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide strike against Dangote Petroleum Refinery following the intervention of the Federal Government.
However, the union stressed that the suspension is only temporary and warned that industrial action would resume without notice if the refinery fails to honour its commitments.
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, announced the decision on Wednesday in Abuja after marathon negotiations involving government officials, union leaders, and representatives of the Dangote Refinery.
The talks, mediated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, reportedly stretched into the early hours of the day.
Osifo said the union was taking the “moral high ground” by bowing to government persuasion despite strong doubts about the sincerity of the Dangote Group.
Osifo stated, “We are only suspending, not calling off this strike.”
“If any part of this agreement is broken, we will not give any warning. We will immediately resume our suspended industrial action.”
He stressed that the industrial action was rooted in the fundamental right of workers to freedom of association, insisting that members joined the union “to secure better welfare and fair pay.”
According to him, PENGASSAN remains unsatisfied with aspects of the communique signed under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, warning that the union’s patience should not be mistaken for weakness.
PENGASSAN vows to resume the strike if Dangote renege on the agreement
According to Osifo, the National Executive Council (NEC) of PENGASSAN agreed to suspend the action in a show of patriotism, even though the union remained dissatisfied with aspects of the communique signed under the Ministry of Labour’s supervision.
Osifo said, “Remember, we are only suspending, and we didn’t call off. We will be monitoring and following closely on any slip on the part of Dangote. If any part of this agreement, or any part of this communique as put up by the Ministry of Labour, is broken, we will not give any notice, we will not give any warning, and we will resume the suspended industrial action immediately.
“We have only suspended the industrial action in respect of the government of the land. As an institution, are we completely happy with what was provided? The answer for us is no,” he added.
What you should know
Earlier, Nairametrics reported that PENGASSAN is set to suspend its nationwide strike following the intervention of the Federal Government in the ongoing dispute with the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
On Sunday, PENGASSAN ordered a nationwide strike in response to the dismissal of some Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, commissioned in 2023 with a touted capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has faced recurring disputes with oil sector unions.
