…FG summons parties for reconciliation meeting
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN), has directed its members nationwide to withdraw their services following the alleged mass dismissal of some Nigerian workers by Ɗangote Refinery.
This was announced in a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, and signed by General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa.
The union accused the refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, by dismissing workers for joining the association.
It alleged the refinery had replaced the dismissed staff with “over 2,000 Indians”, calling the action “an affront to all workers in Nigeria”.
PENGASSAN directed members in field locations to down tools from yesterday Sunday, and ordered a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies from today, Monday.
The union said: “All PENGASSAN members working across field locations are to withdraw services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, 28 September 2025 and commence 24-hour prayers. This includes all control room operations, panel operations, and outfield personnel”.
“All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, 29th of September, 2025.
“No intervention whatsoever will be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk; such clearance must be obtained from the National Secretariat. All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Ɗangote Refinery should be let off effectively immediately. All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Ɗangote Refinery and petrochemicals”.
According to the circular, the union announced 24-hour prayer vigils and appealed for government intervention, declaring the strike will continue until the dismissed workers are reinstated. “An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country”, it added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has summoned PENGASSAN and Ɗangote Refinery to an emergency reconciliation meeting to avert an industrial crisis over their dispute.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyaɗi, made this known on Sunday while appealing to the union to reconsider its strike declaration in order to give room for dialogue and an amicable resolution of the dispute.
According to a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday evening, by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Patience Onuobia, the Minister disclosed that his ministry has taken swift steps to bring both the leadership of the union and the management of Ɗangote Refinery to the negotiation table.
According to him, invitations have been formally sent to both parties to attend an emergency meeting at his office in Abuja today, Monday for conciliation talks aimed at preventing the crisis from escalating further.
Recently, Ɗangote refinery has been at loggerheads with NUPENG over labour rights and safety standards.
