The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has clarified that it did not sign any agreement before suspending its three-day nationwide strike over the alleged dismissal of 800 workers by the management of the Dangote Refinery.
The strike, which began earlier in the week, was suspended on Wednesday following the intervention of the Federal Government.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, explained that the communiqué presented at the meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Employment was not an 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,” Mr Osifo said.
He described the document as merely a communication from the Minister of Labour and Employment, who acted as the chief conciliator.
Mr Osifo also dismissed media reports suggesting the union was only concerned about check-off dues.
“That is false. What we prioritised was how our members would return to work and provide for their families,” he said.
The union’s core demand, he noted, was for the reinstatement of the sacked refinery workers. He said Dangote initially resisted reabsorbing them until the federal government intervened and pushed for a compromise.
Mr Osifo further rejected Dangote Group’s claims that the disengaged workers had sabotaged the refinery, describing the allegation as “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,” he stressed.
The PENGASSAN leader warned that the union would not hesitate to resume industrial action if necessary.
“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 added.
