THE Federal Government has announced that the labour dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has been resolved.
In a communiqué signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, today, the government said the Dangote Group would immediately begin the process of redeploying disengaged workers to other subsidiaries within the conglomerate, with no loss of pay.
Dingyadi emphasised that unionisation is a legal right guaranteed to Nigerian workers and must be respected.
He assured that none of the over 800 employees recently laid off by the refinery would be victimised over their role in the disagreement.
“After reviewing the circumstances of the disengagement, it was agreed that the affected staff would be moved to other companies within the Dangote Group, without any loss of pay. No worker will face victimisation arising from this dispute,” the communiqué partly read.
The Minister also disclosed that PENGASSAN had agreed to begin the process of suspending its strike action, noting that both parties reached the agreement “in good faith.”
The conciliation meeting, held at the office of the National Security Adviser, was attended by senior government officials including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
Also present were the heads of key regulatory agencies, representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the leadership of the Trade Union Congress.
The conflict, which had led to a nationwide strike, stemmed from unresolved issues around unionisation and the dismissal of hundreds of Nigerian workers at the refinery.
PENGASSAN members had earlier barricaded offices of key petroleum agencies in Abuja as part of the industrial action.
Dangote Refinery, however, defended the restructuring exercise, saying it was necessary to address safety concerns, prevent sabotage, and improve operational efficiency.