The Federal Government has successfully intervened in the labour dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, ending days of industrial tension that had threatened the operations of Africa’s largest refinery project.
The breakthrough came on Tuesday after a two-day meeting convened in Abuja by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The discussions were chaired by Labour Minister Dr. Muhammad Maigari-Dingyadi and culminated in the signing of a communiqué detailing the resolutions reached by all parties.
The meeting brought together top government officials and security agencies, underscoring the gravity of the dispute. Attendees included the National Security Adviser, the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and State for Petroleum, as well as representatives of the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. Labour leaders from PENGASSAN and executives from the Dangote Group were also present.
The conciliation was initiated after PENGASSAN instructed its members to halt gas supply and withdraw their services from the refinery, protesting the termination of more than 800 workers.
The strike raised concerns about potential disruptions to the refinery’s operations, which are central to Nigeria’s efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in fuel production and reduce dependence on imports.
Dangote Refinery had explained that the layoffs were part of an ongoing restructuring process aimed at improving efficiency and streamlining operations.
However, the union insisted that the mass sackings violated workers’ rights and demanded immediate intervention from the Federal Government.
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According to the signed communiqué, the meeting resolved that unionisation is a constitutional right of Nigerian workers and must be fully respected by the Dangote Group.
In what observers have described as a significant concession, the company agreed to redeploy the affected workers to other subsidiaries within the conglomerate without any loss of pay or benefits.
The communiqué also included guarantees against victimisation, ensuring that no employee who participated in the dispute would be punished for their involvement.
In return, PENGASSAN committed to beginning the process of calling off its strike and restoring normal operations at the refinery.
Both sides pledged to act in good faith and implement the resolutions without delay.
The resolution is expected to calm tensions in the oil and gas sector, where industrial disputes often have wide-ranging economic implications.
Analysts note that the truce reflects both the strategic importance of the Dangote Refinery to Nigeria’s energy future and the necessity of balancing corporate restructuring with workers’ rights.
With the agreement in place, attention now shifts to monitoring compliance and ensuring that both PENGASSAN and the Dangote Group honour their commitments.
For the Federal Government, the deal is being viewed as another test of its capacity to mediate disputes in critical industries while safeguarding both investment and labour rights.
NAN
