The Petroleum and Pure Gasoline Senior Employees Affiliation of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered a nationwide strike in response to the dismissal of some Nigerian staff by the Dangote Refinery.
In a press release issued on Sunday in Abuja, the affiliation’s Basic Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, stated the choice adopted an emergency assembly of the union’s Nationwide Govt Council (NEC) held on Saturday.
Okugbawa described the refinery’s motion as a violation of Nigeria’s labour legal guidelines, the Structure, and worldwide conventions.
In line with him, “the refinery has changed Nigerians with over 2,000 overseas staff, subjecting our folks to the worst sort of working circumstances within the oil and fuel business.”
The union chief defined that NEC ordered all PENGASSAN members working throughout discipline areas to withdraw their companies efficient 06:00hrs on Sunday, September 28, whereas these in places of work, firms, establishments and businesses are to withdraw companies from 00:01hrs on Monday, September 29.
He additional stated that each one processes involving fuel and crude provide to Dangote Refinery had been suspended instantly.
Okugbawa additionally disclosed that the union had declared a 24-hour nationwide prayer.
“The prayer level ought to embody a name to God Almighty to provide braveness to these in authority to rein in Dangote and his co-travelers on the necessity to obey the legal guidelines of our nation,” he stated.
He stated that the union wouldn’t enable the sack of its members to go unchallenged.
“An damage to 1 is an damage to all. No man is greater than our nation,” Okugbawa stated.
Backstory
On Friday, the Dangote Group dismissed experiences of mass employees layoffs, clarifying that the continued reorganisation at its Petroleum Refinery impacts solely a small variety of workers and is aimed toward safeguarding operations and stopping sabotage.
In a press release shared through the Group’s official X account, the reorganisation is a needed measure to guard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage which have raised security considerations and affected operational effectivity.
Administration famous that intermittent sabotage throughout numerous items has had severe penalties for human life and operational security.
The refinery confirmed that over 3,000 Nigerians proceed to work actively throughout the facility and emphasised that solely a really small variety of employees have been affected by the reorganisation.
“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery needs to make clear current experiences regarding the ongoing reorganisation inside its facility. This train isn’t arbitrary. It has change into essential to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage which have raised security considerations and affected operational effectivity.
“The foregoing determination was taken in the very best curiosity of the Refinery as results of intermittent instances of sabotage within the numerous items of the Refinery with dire penalties on human life and associated security considerations,” the assertion learn partly.
It added, “Over 3,000 Nigerians proceed to work actively in our Petroleum Refinery, at current. Solely a really small variety of employees have been affected, as we proceed to recruit Nigerian expertise by our numerous graduate trainee programmes and skilled rent recruitment course of.”
What you must know
Earlier than this reorganisation, there had been ongoing points between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Pure Gasoline Staff (NUPENG) and the refinery. NUPENG had raised considerations over Dangote Refinery’s refusal to recognise union rights for tanker drivers and different workers.
A decision on staff’ rights was signed within the presence of three federal ministers and the Deputy Director Basic of the Division of State Companies (DSS).
Nevertheless, days after the decision, NUPENG alleged that refinery drivers have been instructed to take away union stickers from their vans and try and forcefully load the ability, in violation of agreed protocols.
