“PENGASSAN SUSPENDS NATIONWIDE STRIKE AGAINST DANGOTE REFINERY: A TEMPORARY TRUCE?”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide industrial action against Dangote Refinery, citing respect for the Nigerian government and its institutions. PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, revealed that despite the suspension, the union remains dissatisfied with the agreement, particularly the clause concerning the reinstatement of over 800 sacked Nigerian workers .
Key Highlights of the Agreement:
– Redeployment of Sacked Workers: Dangote Refinery has agreed to redeploy the affected workers to other subsidiaries within the group without loss of pay.
– No Victimization: The agreement ensures that no worker will be victimized for participating in the dispute.
– Respect for Unionization: The Federal Government emphasized that unionization is a fundamental right of workers under Nigerian law and must be respected by the company.
PENGASSAN’s Stance:
– Conditional Suspension: The union suspended the strike out of respect for government institutions, but warned that it will resume the industrial action without notice if the agreement is breached.
– Lack of Trust: PENGASSAN expressed skepticism about Dangote Refinery’s sincerity, citing past experiences where agreements were not honored .
The suspension of the strike has brought temporary relief to the nation’s energy sector, but the long-term stability of the agreement remains to be seen.
Recall that gas and crude supply had been cut from Dangote Refinery after PENGASSAN declared a strike on Sunday.
The action had affected the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery and Nigeria’s oil downstream sector, prompting intervention by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Last week, Dangote Refinery reported that it had sacked over 800 workers for voluntarily joining PENGASSAN.
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