The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the resolution of the labour dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, following high-level mediation.
The breakthrough was revealed in a communiqué signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, who emphasized that the right to unionise is protected under Nigerian labour laws and must be upheld by private companies.
The dispute, which had threatened operations at the refinery, was sparked by unresolved labour issues, including the reported sacking of over 800 Nigerian workers by the refinery’s management.
“Unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and this right should be respected,” Dingyadi stated.
According to the minister, the Dangote Group has agreed to reassign all affected workers to other subsidiaries within the group without any loss of pay.
“The management of Dangote Group shall immediately start the process of taking the disengaged staff to other companies within the Group, with no loss of pay,” the communiqué read.
The Federal Government also assured that no worker would be victimised for their involvement in the dispute with the company.
In a positive turn, PENGASSAN has reportedly agreed to begin the process of calling off the ongoing strike, signaling an end to the industrial action.
“Both parties agreed to this understanding in good faith,” Dingyadi added.
