THE Federal Government has urged the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENSASSAN) to reconsider its proposed strike starting Monday over its dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, who made this plea on Sunday, said his Ministry has taken steps to bring both parties to a roundtable to stop their dispute from escalating further.
In a statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour, Patience Onuobia made available to News Point Nigeria, Dingyadi disclosed that invitations have been extended to both the leadership of PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery management to attend an emergency meeting in his office on Monday for the conciliation of their dispute.
The Minister called on the leadership of PENGASSAN to withdraw the strike declaration to allow his Ministry to conciliate the dispute in a peaceful atmosphere.
Speaking further, Dingyadi said: “The Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations has extended invitations to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of her economy. A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequentially, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security.”
The Minister urged the feuding parties to give peace a chance, assuring them that the Federal Government would resolve the dispute amicably to the satisfaction of all the parties involved and in the national interest.
In a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, PENGASSAN directed its members nationwide to withdraw their services following the alleged mass dismissal of some Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery.
The union accused the refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions by dismissing workers for joining the association.
It alleged the refinery had replaced the dismissed staff with “over 2,000 Indians,” calling the action “an affront to all workers in Nigeria.”
PENGASSAN directed members in field locations to down tools from Sunday, and ordered a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies from Monday.
In its reaction to PENGASSAN’s allegation, Dangote Refinery said that the recent reorganisation in the company, which led to the sacking of some workers, was aimed at preventing intermittent cases of sabotage.
It also refuted claims that the exercise was arbitrary, adding that it was carried out to address safety concerns and boost operational efficiency.
“This exercise is not arbitrary. It has become necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency.
“The foregoing decision was taken in the best interest of the refinery as a result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns,” the company disclosed in a statement on Friday, signed by the management.
The Dangote Refinery has recently been at loggerheads with unions in the oil and gas sector over labour rights, safety standards, and product distribution, among other issues.