FG appeals to PENGASSAN over Dangote dispute, calls for truce meeting
The Federal Government has intervened in the brewing labour dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Petroleum Refinery, appealing to both sides to avoid a disruptive strike.
The conflict centres on the alleged mass sacking of over 800 Nigerian workers by the refinery, which PENGASSAN claims were dismissed for their union affiliations. In retaliation, the union threatened to suspend operations by cutting crude and gas supplies to the facility.
On Sunday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, extended an invitation to the parties to attend a conciliation meeting in his office on Monday, hoping to broker peace. The ministry also formally urged PENGASSAN to withdraw its strike notice, citing the strategic importance of the petroleum sector to national stability.
READ ALSO: PENGASSAN orders gas supply cut to Dangote refinery
In his appeal, Dingyadi warned that a strike could lead to significant revenue losses, stress the economy, and inflict further hardship on ordinary Nigerians. He stressed that economic security and energy supply must not be sacrificed amid industrial discord.
The labour minister’s move is part of broader government efforts to contain the crisis. Officials insist that mediation remains the only viable path forward, given the high stakes involved.
Dangote’s management, meanwhile, has spoken against what it describes as “economic sabotage” by the union, calling for legal redress rather than disruptive actions. The company insists it remains open to dialogue but warns against tactics that threaten national interest.
PENGASSAN has held firm to its demand: unconditional reinstatement of the dismissed workers. The union maintains that no meeting or negotiation is worthwhile unless this is honoured. Cutting off gas supply, it argues, is within its rights to press a just cause.
READ ALSO: Indians taking over jobs in Nigeria’s oil/gas sector – PENGASSAN laments
Analysts say the dispute could destabilise fuel supply, inflate prices, and ripple across the energy chain. The union’s threat to escalate adds tension to an already fragile coalition of stakeholders in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Various labour bodies, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have expressed solidarity with PENGASSAN, placing their members on standby should the conflict widen. The TUC has called for the immediate recall of sacked workers and a publicly mediated investigation into the dispute.
For now, all eyes turn to Monday’s truce meeting. Whether the government’s mediation can overcome entrenched positions remains uncertain, but the outcome will likely shape labour relations and investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for months ahead.
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