The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered a nationwide mobilisation of workers following a deepening conflict between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery.
PENGASSAN, which has been at loggerheads with the refinery, accused its management of unlawfully terminating the employment of over 800 Nigerian workers. In compliance with directives from its national executive committee, union members on Monday barricaded the premises of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) headquarters in Abuja, signalling the start of a broader industrial action.
In a strongly worded statement, NLC President Joe Ajaero condemned the actions of the Dangote Group, accusing the conglomerate of “union-busting, worker enslavement, and gross impunity” in its dealings with employees.
“The Dangote Group has operated for too long as a state within a state, flouting Section 40 of our Constitution, violating ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and treating our national labour laws with contempt. Their facilities are not workplaces but plantations of exploitation,” Ajaero said.
He argued that the dispute between PENGASSAN and the refinery was symptomatic of a wider problem in Nigeria’s industrial relations environment, stressing that the time for dialogue had passed and that organised labour was prepared for decisive action.
The NLC announced immediate mobilisation across its affiliate unions, directing them to commence full preparation for a nationwide engagement with Dangote Group facilities. Unions have also been instructed to establish Action Mobilisation Committees and coordinate strategies with the NLC National Secretariat within 72 hours.
The congress outlined key demands, including:
- Respect for workers’ rights to freely join unions of their choice.
- An immediate end to intimidation and victimisation of workers.
- Compliance with Nigeria’s labour laws and international conventions.
Ajaero warned that organised labour would not relent until the conglomerate was held accountable.
“The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with the resistance of organised labour. The blood and sweat of Nigerian workers built this conglomerate; we will not let it become a monument to their oppression,” he declared.
The Dangote Group has yet to issue an official response to the NLC’s accusations.
