The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday suspended its three-day strike after reaching a truce with the management of the Dangote Refinery.
The industrial action, which had disrupted parts of the oil and gas sector since Monday, followed disagreements over the unionisation of some refinery workers.
Announcing the suspension at a press briefing in Abuja, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said the strike was called off after a marathon meeting convened by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Osifo disclosed that the resolution came after both parties signed a binding agreement, warning that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike if the management of the refinery failed to comply.
“We have suspended the strike in the interest of national stability and economic growth. But let it be clear that if Dangote Refinery reneges on the agreement, PENGASSAN will not hesitate to take decisive action,” Osifo declared.
The dispute, PLATFORM TIMES gathered, stemmed from resistance by the refinery’s management to the unionisation of its employees.
PENGASSAN had insisted that workers must be allowed to freely associate and join unions without intimidation.
The standoff had raised concerns about possible disruptions in the downstream petroleum sector, with electricity supply and fuel distribution already reported to have been affected before the intervention of ONSA.
Industry observers noted that the clash between one of Nigeria’s most powerful unions and Africa’s largest refinery underscored rising tensions over labour rights in the country’s emerging private-sector-driven oil economy.
While commending the federal government’s intervention, PENGASSAN urged relevant authorities to ensure strict monitoring of the agreement.
Osifo added: “We signed this deal in good faith. We expect that all terms will be respected. The union is not against industrial progress, but we will always defend the rights of our members.”
As of press time, officials of the Dangote Refinery were yet to issue a formal statement on the development.
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