The Federal Government says it has resolved the standoff between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery after marathon talks.
The deal restores workers’ union rights, redeploys staff, and paves way for strike suspension.
The Federal Government has announced that it has successfully resolved the conflict between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery after two days of negotiations.
In a statement issued early Wednesday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, said the breakthrough came after long hours of discussions that stretched into the night.
According to him, the agreement recognized that workers have the right to join unions in line with Nigerian labour laws. He also revealed that Dangote Group has agreed to redeploy disengaged staff to other subsidiaries of the company without cutting their salaries.
The statement added that no employee would face victimization for participating in the industrial action. PENGASSAN, on its part, agreed to begin steps to suspend the strike.
The peace deal was reached during a meeting at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja. Top government officials present included National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Finance Minister Wale Edun, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu, Minister of State for Labour Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
Earlier talks between the two parties on Monday had ended in a stalemate after running late into Tuesday morning. The dispute was triggered by claims from PENGASSAN that the refinery dismissed union members and brought in foreign workers to replace Nigerians, an allegation the company denied.
The Federal Government said it waded into the matter to protect the economy and ensure the country’s energy security.
