The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its affiliate unions to begin mobilisation for a possible nationwide strike following the ongoing dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The move comes after PENGASSAN accused the refinery of illegally dismissing over 800 Nigerian employees.
In a memo signed on Monday, NLC President Joe Ajaero described the refinery’s action as a violation of Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
“The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with resistance,” Ajaero said, instructing affiliates to establish action mobilisation committees and liaise with the NLC secretariat within 72 hours.
PENGASSAN has condemned the refinery for replacing the dismissed workers with over 2,000 Indian employees, alleging that many lack valid immigration documentation.
“We are deeply saddened to report the unjust termination of over 800 Nigerian workers, whose dedication and service have been integral to the operations of this plant,” said Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN General Secretary.
He urged the management to recall all terminated employees, warning that failure to comply would leave the union “no option but to commence exploring all sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the relevant labour laws.”
The directive from the NLC follows a series of escalating tensions between the union and the refinery. On September 27, PENGASSAN ordered its members to cut gas and crude oil supply to the refinery, prompting Dangote Petroleum to accuse the union of attempting to sabotage Nigeria’s energy supply.
In a statement, the refinery warned that the union’s actions could cause nationwide fuel scarcity and disrupt petroleum product availability, describing the intervention as “economic sabotage” against both the company and the state.
Dangote Petroleum emphasised that “absolutely no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its branches to cut off gas and crude oil supplies,” noting that such actions interfere with contracts entered into by the company with third-party suppliers. The refinery also highlighted the potential risk to federal and state government revenues and urged authorities to call the union to order.
The National Industrial Court in Abuja had issued an interim order temporarily stopping PENGASSAN from proceeding with industrial action. Despite this, the NLC has intensified mobilisation efforts, with Ajaero describing the dispute as symptomatic of “a deeper sickness; a capitalist pathology of union-busting, worker enslavement, and gross impunity that defines the Group’s industrial relations strategy.”
With federal government mediation ongoing, the conflict between PENGASSAN and Dangote Petroleum shows no immediate signs of resolution, raising concerns over potential nationwide industrial action and its impact on Nigeria’s energy sector.
