By Victor Ahiuma-Young
The face-off between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has escalated, as the union has directed its members to cut off gas and crude oil supplies to the refinery in protest over the alleged victimisation and disengagement of unionised workers.
In a directive from its National Secretariat to branch leaders, the General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN, accused the refinery’s management of targeting workers who exercised their constitutional right to freedom of association.
It said instead of engaging in dialogue to resolve grievances, the company resorted to “misinformation and propaganda” to justify its actions.
“The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to their decision to unionise. This illegitimacy cannot stand,” the union stated in its memo.
Following the directive, the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company, NGIC, unit was instructed to stop all gas supply to the refinery with immediate effect.
Crude oil supply valves to the facility are also to be shut, while loading operations for vessels headed there are to be suspended.
PENGASSAN mandated all affected chairmen to report promptly on the progress of compliance.
The action marks the latest twist in the growing standoff between the refinery and PENGASSAN.
Earlier, the union’s Dangote Refinery Branch, in a petition to its Lagos Zonal leadership, alleged sustained anti-labour practices and economic among others by the management.
In the petition signed by Branch Chairman, Abdulfatai Muhammed, and Secretary, Eseoghene Choice, the union cited forced transfers of unionised workers, denial of personal protective equipment, PPE, poor welfare provisions, wage discrimination, and the dominance of expatriates in management positions.
According to PENGASSAN, Nigerian engineers earn far less than their peers in comparable oil and gas companies, while expatriates receive significantly higher remuneration and occupy most top management roles. The petition also claimed that engineers are exposed to hazardous working conditions without hazard allowance, health insurance, or compensation.
PENGASSAN insisted that the refinery’s practices contravene Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, as well as the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
However, Dangote Refinery has previously denied allegations of mass sack and anti-labour practices. In an earlier statement, the company said it had not replaced Nigerian workers with foreigners, insisting instead that more than 3,000 Nigerians are currently employed at the refinery.
The refinery’s management explained that recent staff changes were part of a reorganisation to enhance efficiency and ensure smooth operations. It also maintained that expatriates were only brought in to provide technical expertise and knowledge transfer, assuring that Nigerians would remain the majority in its workforce.
Despite the clarification, PENGASSAN maintains that the issues raised must be addressed urgently. The union has called on government and regulatory authorities to intervene, warning that the situation, if unresolved, could destabilise the oil and gas industry and threaten national energy security.
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