The ongoing industrial dispute between the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria worsened on Saturday, as PENGASSAN ordered seven of its branches to stop crude oil and gas supplies to the facility.
PENGASSAN, in a September 26 letter signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, had accused Dangote refinery’s management of sacking its members in retaliation for exercising their constitutional right to join the union.
PENGASSAN’s move has however escalated the crisis, with the union accusing the refinery of anti-labour practices and the unlawful sack of 800 of its members.
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The union in the directive issued to its branch chairmen in key upstream and midstream oil companies, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company, to immediately cut off all crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.
PENGASSAN issued the directive following allegations that Nigerian workers were sacked by Dangote Refinery after joining the union, claiming that management also withdrew staff buses and denied entry to locals while allowing expatriates access.
The union threatened to picket the refinery if the sack of its members was not reversed.
But the refinery in a statement on Friday, clarified that only a few workers were affected by a reorganisation aimed at stopping sabotage within the facility, adding that over 3,000 Nigerians remain in its employ.
The company also rejected claims of mass layoffs.
Dangote maintained that the restructuring was necessary after what it described as recurring acts of sabotage in different units of the refinery, which posed serious risks to human lives and operations.
Consequently, PENGASSAN instructed its branches in TotalEnergies, Seplat, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, Renaissance, and NGIC to cut gas supply to the refinery immediately.
It described the move as “illegitimate”, accusing the refinery of spreading misinformation instead of addressing the matter through dialogue.
PENGASSAN said, “As you are aware, the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to being unionised.
“They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong.
“Consequent to these, you are hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC effective immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately.”
The union further mandated the NGIC Chairman to ensure strict compliance with the order and told all branch chairmen to give regular updates on the action taken.
“NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately. All chairmen on this summons are to report promptly the progress of the directive. Kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem. Thank you,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its solidarity, PENGASSAN ended the directive with its slogan: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”
On Thursday, the company announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from September 28 following the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations.