The Federal Government has appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to call off its planned strike scheduled to start today.
This strike arises from a dispute between the union and Dangote Refinery.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, who made this appeal in a statement on Sunday, added that his ministry has invited both parties to an emergency meeting today to resolve the conflict and prevent further escalation.
PENGASSAN, declared the nationwide strike following the dismissal of Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery.
Its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa denounced the refinery’s action as a breach of Nigeria’s labor laws, the Constitution, and international labor agreements.
Okugbawa accused the refinery of replacing more than 2,000 Nigerian workers with foreign employees under poor working conditions.
The Dangote Group, however, denied the mass layoffs, stating that the ongoing reorganisation is to safeguard the facility against sabotage, with over 3,000 Nigerian workers still employed.
