LAGOS: The Federal Government has announced that staff earlier disengaged from operations at the Dangote Refinery will be redeployed to other subsidiaries within the Dangote Group, following the resolution of its face-off with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, noting that affected workers would not suffer any loss of pay.
After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the meeting agreed that the management of Dangote Group shall immediately begin the process of redeploying the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.
No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN,” the minister said.
He added that the union had agreed to begin the process of calling off its strike action, stressing that the agreement was reached in good faith.
Dingyadi reiterated that unionisation remains a fundamental right under Nigerian law and must be respected by all employers.
The breakthrough came after several conciliation meetings convened by the Federal Government, following a breakdown of earlier talks which ended in deadlock on Monday.
The industrial dispute began after PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery’s management of:
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Unlawful mass transfers and dismissals of union members.
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Replacing Nigerian workers with foreigners, allegedly in violation of labour laws.
The union responded by halting gas and crude oil supply to the refinery, sparking fears of disruptions to Nigeria’s energy security and economy.
While the refinery management denied targeting union members arguing that the restructuring was purely operational the standoff escalated until government intervention.
The Federal Government stepped in to prevent further damage to the economy, citing adverse effects on energy security if the impasse continued.
With the new agreement, workers are expected to return to duty under redeployment arrangements, while PENGASSAN prepares to call off its strike.
