…Says battle is for survival of Labour movement, dignity of workers
By Victor Ahiuma-Young
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, which had endorsed the strike, has written to its over 54 affiliates and 36 councils to prepare to join the planned strike by Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, saying the battle, among others, is the survival of Labour movement and dignity of workers.
NUPENG had Friday threatened to embark on strike over what it calls the Dangote Group’s “crude and dangerous anti-union practices, monopolistic agenda, and indecent industrial relations strategies.”
In its petition that set the stage for the strike, NUPENG accused Africa’s richest man of running his refinery and subsidiaries on “crude and dangerous anti-union practices, monopolistic agenda, and indecent industrial relations strategies.”
“The crude and dangerous anti-union practices, monopolistic agenda, and indecent industrial relations strategies being pursued by Aliko Dangote and his associates represent not just an attack on petroleum workers, but a full-blown declaration of war against the Nigerian working class, trade unionism, and the principle of Decent Work,” NUPENG declared.
The union alleged that Dangote Refinery “pays one of the lowest wages in the Oil and Gas sector in Nigeria today and treats its staff members beneath acceptable standards,” warning that its latest recruitment condition barring drivers from joining any oil and gas union violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Labour Act, and ILO Conventions 98 and 87.
“This marks a dangerous road to fascism in industrial relations, where workers are treated as slaves without voice or dignity,” NUPENG warned.
NLC raises nationwide Red Alert
In response, the NLC issued a circular, “Solidarity Alert and Call to Action,” to all affiliate unions, urging them to be battle-ready.
“The revelations contained in NUPENG’s statement represent not just an attack on petroleum workers, but a full-blown declaration of war against the Nigerian working class and Decent Work principles.
An attack on one union is an attack on all of us. If we allow the Dangote Group to succeed in its agenda to enslave workers in the oil and gas sector, no industry, no job, and no worker in Nigeria will be safe. It will set a perilous precedent that powerful capital is above the law.”
“Commence immediate internal mobilisation and sensitisation of your members on these developments. Be on standby for nationwide solidarity actions should the NLC and NUPENG call for them. Prepare to galvanise your members across all state councils to join a united front of resistance.”
The strike is expected to hit fuel supply chains first, with filling stations bracing for queues and black market prices already rising in anticipation. Economists warn that if the impasse is not resolved swiftly, transport, power, and manufacturing sectors could grind to a halt, further deepening inflation and hardship across the country.
Labour’s final warning
The NLC made clear that its solidarity is “not negotiable,” vowing to escalate the fight if Dangote does not back down.
“If Dangote continues on this reckless anti-union path, the NLC and its affiliates will move beyond words to action. We will confront this tyranny head-on until victory is secured for Nigerian workers and the Nigerian people.
We must be ready to fight, because we must. The dignity of the Nigerian worker must be protected,” the Congress declared.
With fuel tankers already parked and oil workers withdrawing their services, today marks the opening salvo in a confrontation that could define the future of industrial relations in Nigeria.
The post Dangote, NUPENG face-off: NLC rallies state councils, industrial unions for showdown appeared first on Vanguard News.
