Minister of Labour and Productivity, Muhammad Dingyadi, has called upon the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to rethink its decision regarding the initiation of a nationwide industrial action stemming from their conflict with the Dangote Group, which revolves around the company’s policy against the unionization of its workforce.
The minister further appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to retract the red alert it issued to its affiliated unions, advising them to prepare for a nationwide strike in solidarity with the petroleum workers, who are protesting the purported anti-worker and anti-union policies of the Dangote Group.
He stated that, given his ministry’s involvement in the situation, the unions should postpone their plans to halt operations in the petroleum sector, aiming to preserve stability in this crucial area of the Nigerian economy. The minister also reassured Nigerians that the conflict would be resolved amicably.
HOWEVER, the President of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, announced yesterday that a meeting is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. today in Abuja, and the decision to postpone the strike will be made during this meeting.
In the meantime, the NLC has expressed its support for NUPENG’s position regarding the strike. The NLC, which has accused the Dangote Group of offering some of the lowest wages in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and treating its employees below acceptable standards, asserted that the company’s business model effectively enslaves workers and is not conducive to development.
Consequently, it has urged the Federal Government to promptly intervene and instruct Aliko Dangote and Sayyu Dantata to adhere to all Nigerian labor laws and international standards.
It has demanded the immediate unionization of not only the Dangote Refinery but also all other entities within the group. Additionally, it indicated that the NLC’s nationwide apparatus has been placed on red alert and mobilized to present a united front against the Dangote Group’s anti-worker agenda and to support the anticipated industrial action by NUPENG.
In a prompt response, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) association has dismissed NUPENG’s directive, labeling it as ‘insensitive’. In a statement co-signed by Blessing Dafinone, the Chairperson of the PTD Warri zone, and Joseph Dagogo-Jack, her counterpart from the Port Harcourt zone, the PTD declared: “This is a clarion call to all Petroleum Tanker Drivers throughout Nigeria to disregard the strike notice issued by the leadership of NUPENG.”
The PTD criticized NUPENG for failing to consider alternative dispute resolution methods prior to announcing a strike.
