Sanni Marvelous
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has reached an agreement with the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery that may see over 800 sacked workers reinstated within the group.
The resolution followed two days of conciliation meetings convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday, and Tuesday, after PENGASSAN threatened to halt gas supply to the refinery and withdraw services nationwide.
According to the communique issued at the end of the meeting, PENGASSAN explained that its decision was a direct response to “the termination of appointment of over Eight Hundred members of PENGASSAN by the management of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.”
The management of Dangote Refinery, however, defended its action, stating that “the reason for disengagement of the workers was as a result of the ongoing reorganisation in the company.”
After lengthy deliberations involving the Minister of Labour and Employment, the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), representatives of NNPCL, as well as leaders of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and PENGASSAN, key agreements were reached.
The Minister of Labour stressed that “unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and that this right should be respected.”
The parties then agreed that the management of Dangote Group “shall immediately start the process of taking the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.” It was also resolved that “no worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN.”
In turn, PENGASSAN committed to begin the process of calling off its planned strike.
