The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the resolution of the standoff between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery, paving the way for the suspension of the union’s nationwide strike.
In a statement issued by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, it was disclosed that Dangote Group has agreed to redeploy the over 800 staff earlier disengaged to other subsidiaries within the conglomerate, with no loss of pay.
The agreement also guarantees that no worker will face victimisation over their role in the dispute. The Minister reaffirmed that unionisation remains a fundamental right of Nigerian workers under the law.
PENGASSAN, in turn, consented to begin the process of calling off its industrial action.
The high-level conciliation meeting, which produced the breakthrough, was attended by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; as well as the Directors-General of the DSS and NIA.
The truce effectively averted a looming disruption in Nigeria’s energy sector and ended weeks of tension between the refinery giant and the oil workers’ union.