… Warns of immediate return if deal is breached
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide strike, three days after it began protesting the dismissal of 800 workers by Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The decision followed marathon reconciliatory meetings held in Abuja on Monday and Tuesday at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi. At the talks, Dangote Refinery agreed to redeploy the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, while PENGASSAN committed to calling off the strike.
Announcing the suspension on Wednesday in Abuja, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo said the union took the step “out of respect for government institutions”, including the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the federal ministries that mediated the talks.
“We are not happy with the terms of the agreement because it did not capture our main demand of recalling the 800 sacked Nigerians. But out of respect for government institutions, we decided to suspend the action,” Osifo said. “However, let me be clear: if Dangote fails to keep its part, we will resume immediately, without any warning.”
Osifo accused the refinery’s management of a history of disregarding agreements, warning that the union would not hesitate to act if promises made during the talks were not implemented. He added that the union would closely monitor developments over the next few days to ensure the redeployment of affected workers.
The PENGASSAN leader stressed that the strike was not only about the refinery workers but also about protecting young oil and gas professionals who voluntarily joined the union.
“The oil and gas workforce has carried the burden of Nigeria’s economy for decades, providing over 90 percent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings. We are patriots who love this country more than any individual, and that is why, despite our reservations, we chose to suspend this strike in deference to government efforts,” he said.
Osifo reiterated that PENGASSAN’s fight was against injustice, not national progress, and vowed the union would remain steadfast in defending the rights and welfare of its members.
