Nigeria’s labour dispute deepened as talks between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery ended without agreement after hours.
The Federal Government urged both sides to resolve issues swiftly, warning of risks to energy supply.
The meeting between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has ended without a resolution.
The session, convened by the Federal Government on Monday, was aimed at settling the ongoing industrial dispute. It began around 4 p.m. and continued behind closed doors for about nine hours, stretching into the early hours of Tuesday.
Present at the meeting were the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha. At the end of the talks, Dingyadi announced that discussions would resume at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Federal Government had called both sides to the table following concerns about the possible effect of the dispute on the economy and energy supply. The disagreement is linked to claims by PENGASSAN that the refinery has been laying off and transferring union members, and in some cases replacing Nigerians with foreign workers. Dangote Refinery has repeatedly denied these allegations.
Speaking at the opening of the talks, Dingyadi stressed the importance of the meeting. “What’s happening today is very dear to our economy and to the security of the country. We have been informed that PENGASSAN is on strike,” he said, urging both parties to approach the dialogue with sincerity.
PENGASSAN has maintained that its members will not return to work until the alleged unfair labour practices are addressed, while the refinery insists that its restructuring process follows international standards.
