Tension in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has eased after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) agreed to suspend its two-day strike against Dangote Refinery.
The breakthrough followed a two-day meeting held on Monday and Tuesday between the Federal Government, PENGASSAN, and Dangote Refinery.
Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, reminded both parties during the talks that “the right of workers to unionise in accordance with Nigerian law must be respected.”
A communiqué issued after the meeting outlined three key resolutions:
- Reabsorption of Workers: Dangote Group will immediately begin reabsorbing the dismissed workers into other companies within the group without loss of pay.
- No Victimisation: Both parties agreed that no worker would suffer reprisals for their role in the dispute.
- Suspension of Strike: PENGASSAN confirmed it would begin the process of calling off its strike.
PENGASSAN had on Sunday announced a nationwide strike, directing members to halt crude oil and gas supply to Dangote Refinery, in protest against the company’s dismissal of workers for voluntarily joining the union.
With the resolutions reached, the union has suspended its action, paving the way for stability in operations at Africa’s largest refinery.