Tension has erupted between Dangote Refinery and its dismissed engineers over plans to redeploy them to other Dangote subsidiaries.
The workers claim they are being punished for joining PENGASSAN, an allegation the company denies.
Tension is growing between the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and some of its sacked engineers following plans to redeploy them to other subsidiaries of the Dangote Group, including the cement and sugar companies.
The affected workers, who spoke anonymously due to fear of victimization, accused the company of punishing them for joining the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). They said they were surprised to hear about the redeployment plan, insisting that their employment letters clearly stated that they were hired by the refinery, not by the wider Dangote Group.
“It is unfair. We were employed by the refinery, not the Dangote Group. Moving us to sugar or cement plants is like victimizing us. Many of us are petrochemical engineers, not sugar or cement specialists,” one of the affected engineers said.
The dispute began after the refinery allegedly dismissed hundreds of workers who joined PENGASSAN. The union reacted by shutting down oil and gas facilities for three days last week, accusing the company of anti-labour practices. The strike disrupted oil and gas production and caused a drop in power generation nationwide until the Federal Government intervened and ordered both sides to reach a settlement.
Following the government’s directive, the refinery agreed to redeploy the dismissed workers. However, several of them said that they have not been called back to work since September 25. They also alleged that security guards prevented them from entering the refinery premises.
“We have been at home for two weeks now. The management said they would contact us, but we haven’t heard anything. Anytime we go to the refinery, security turns us back,” one source claimed.
The workers further alleged that only Indian nationals were currently operating the refinery. “All Nigerian engineers were sent away because we joined PENGASSAN,” they said.
The Dangote Group has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement, the company said the affected employees were dismissed for acts of sabotage, not because they joined a union.
“Those workers were sacked for sabotage, not union membership. There are still PENGASSAN members working with us. Their salaries have been paid, and they were not victimized,” a senior official said.
The company also refuted claims that Nigerian engineers were poorly paid, describing reports of a N400,000 monthly salary as false. “It is far more than that,” the official insisted, adding that all staff in the group can be moved to any subsidiary as part of internal policy.
The refinery has faced several labour and industry disputes in recent weeks. Earlier, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria accused the plant of engaging in monopolistic pricing after it reduced petrol prices. The unions claimed the move hurt smaller marketers and called for government intervention.
PENGASSAN later joined the row, condemning the mass dismissal of refinery workers and ordering a halt to crude and gas supply in protest, which caused temporary disruptions nationwide.
Although government mediation has calmed the situation, both sides are yet to fully resolve the dispute. Industry watchers say how the Dangote Group handles the matter could determine future labour relations within its vast business network.
On Tuesday, prominent Nigerians, including the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; Bishop Matthew Kukah; and activist Aisha Yesufu, called for restraint, warning that prolonged labour unrest could discourage investors and affect confidence in Nigeria’s industrial sector.
