The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has resolved to suspend its nationwide strike following a breakthrough agreement with the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, facilitated by the Federal Government.
The truce was reached at a conciliatory meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, after PENGASSAN ordered its members to halt gas supply to the refinery in protest against what it described as the unlawful dismissal of more than 800 workers.
In a joint communiqué issued after the meeting, the parties agreed that the disengaged workers would be redeployed to other subsidiaries within the Dangote Group without any loss of pay. The Minister emphasized that unionisation is a fundamental right of Nigerian workers and must be respected by all employers.
While PENGASSAN argued that the mass termination was a retaliatory move against its members, the refinery’s management explained that the decision stemmed from an ongoing internal reorganisation. Both sides, however, pledged that no worker would be victimised over their role in the dispute.
With this understanding, PENGASSAN confirmed it would commence the process of calling off the strike, which had disrupted operations in key oil and gas regulatory agencies.
The high-level conciliation meeting was attended by senior government officials, including the National Security Adviser, the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, State for Labour, and representatives of the Petroleum Ministry. Also present were the Directors-General of the DSS, NIA, NMDPRA, and NUPRC, along with executives of the NNPC Limited, leaders of the Trade Union Congress, and the national leadership of PENGASSAN.
