PENGASSAN has thrown its full support behind NUPENG and warned that it may join a shutdown of Dangote Refinery if management continues to block unionisation efforts.
The longstanding dispute between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Dangote Refinery has escalated as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) formally declared its support for NUPENG and threatened to join in shutting down refinery operations if the company continues to resist unionisation.
In a forceful statement, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, condemned the refinery management’s refusal to allow staff to join both PENGASSAN and NUPENG, labelling such resistance “a direct violation of Nigerian labour laws and international conventions.”
PENGASSAN emphasised: “We stand firmly in support of NUPENG’s call for the full unionisation of not just petroleum tanker drivers but all employees of the refinery and its allied companies,” adding that unionisation “is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for promoting fair labour practices, ensuring safety, and upholding dignity in the workplace.”
The union urged immediate intervention and constructive dialogue involving the Federal Government to avert a potentially crippling crisis, warning that “failure to recognise and respect the rights of workers to unionise will have consequences that extend beyond Dangote’s refinery workplace.”