Former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has criticized the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) for shutting down government-owned oil agencies in response to its dispute with the Dangote Refinery.
PENGASSAN had ordered members to withdraw their services following the dismissal of at least 800 workers by the refinery. The directive led to the closure of key government oil bodies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The move triggered fuel scarcity as queues resurfaced in petrol stations nationwide.
Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday, Oshiomhole expressed disappointment with the union’s approach, arguing that the matter should not have escalated to shutting down the national oil sector.
“What I’m not sure is right is the ease with which PENGASSAN resorted to escalating the matter to a secondary level — what we call secondary solidarity — to the point of shutting down the oil sector. In seeking to protect a particular set of workers, you do not then risk the jobs of several other workers,” he said.
The lawmaker argued that labour unions should only resort to nationwide industrial action after a dispute with government over issues of broad national concern.
“I don’t have any proof, but my experience is that before you shut the gate of NNPC, there has to be a fight. So when I saw NNPC gate effortlessly closed, and all the other government-owned oil companies without resistance, I wondered — if this were private employers, would they allow such closure without resistance? I do not think so. Why is everybody so helpless that we are at the mercy of anyone?” Oshiomhole queried.
He stressed that union operations must be guided by law, insisting that before shutting down the economy, workers must be convinced that their collective welfare is at stake.
“Before you take those measures, you must be ready for a fight, and workers must see the linkage between their well-being and what is at stake,” Oshiomhole said.