The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has clarified that it never signed the communiqué presented after the suspension of its nationwide strike against the Dangote Refinery. The industrial action, which began on Sunday, was paused on Wednesday following federal government intervention, but union leaders said unresolved issues could trigger another walkout.
At the heart of the conflict is PENGASSAN’s accusation that the refinery dismissed more than 800 Nigerian staff and replaced them with over 2,000 Indian workers.
Union President Festus Osifo stressed that the mass sack was unacceptable and demanded immediate reinstatement of the affected employees.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Osifo insisted that the communiqué issued in Abuja was not a valid agreement. “If you see that communiqué, we did not sign it. Normally, it is supposed to be signed by three parties. We did not sign because we felt that some things in it were not okay with us,” he said.
Osifo explained that the communiqué was simply a statement from Labour Minister Muhammadu Dingyadi, who mediated the talks. He admitted there were “grey areas” but said the union’s decision to suspend the strike was in good faith, with priority placed on ensuring members could return to work and earn income for their families.
The Dangote Refinery had earlier accused the dismissed workers of sabotaging operations, but PENGASSAN rejected the allegation. “The release that Dangote made on workers sabotaging the economy was totally incorrect. If we had allowed that sabotage tag to stand, those 800 people would not be able to secure jobs in the future. That stigma would remain forever. Clearing that was a very big win. We are not perturbed in any way,” Osifo declared.
He emphasized that the standoff was not about union dues or self-interest but about defending the rights of Nigerian workers. According to Osifo, the refinery initially resisted government pressure to reabsorb the workers before conceding to a compromise.
Osifo warned that the union would not hesitate to reactivate its strike if management failed to fulfill the resolutions. “If Dangote does not do the needful, our tools are always available. We will never get tired of struggling for what is right. We have been around for 50 years before the Dangote Refinery came on stream,” he said.
