The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide strike following a truce reached with Dangote Refinery and the intervention of the Federal Government.
The industrial action, which disrupted operations across the oil and gas sector, began after the refinery dismissed about 800 workers who were union members. The union responded by halting crude and gas supply to the facility and shutting down offices of key regulatory institutions.
After days of negotiations led by the Ministry of Labour and Employment alongside other government agencies, a resolution was reached on Tuesday night. Under the agreement, the affected workers will be redeployed across other subsidiaries of the Dangote Group without any loss of pay. It was also agreed that no worker would be victimised for participating in the union’s activities.
Announcing the suspension in Abuja, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo said the union decided to respect the intervention of the Federal Government but warned that the strike could resume if the company fails to honour the terms of the agreement.
The resolution has averted what could have been a major disruption to Nigeria’s energy sector, as the strike threatened to impact refining, distribution, and the broader economy.
