The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has strongly condemned the recent mass termination of over 800 Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery, calling the action unjust and threatening to pursue legal remedies if their demands are not met. The union accused the refinery’s management of sidelining Nigerian employees in favor of foreign workers, many of whom reportedly lack valid immigration documentation.
According to a memo signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, the layoffs were part of a “total reorganization” aimed at protecting the multi-billion-dollar facility from repeated sabotage incidents. However, PENGASSAN rejected this justification, emphasizing that the dismissals occurred without prior consultation or transparent process, violating the provisions of Nigeria’s Labour Act and Trade Union Act.
PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, lamented the decision to replace qualified Nigerian workers with over 2,000 Indian workers, marking a worrying trend of marginalizing local labor for foreign personnel. The union reaffirmed that the rights of Nigerian workers to organize and be treated fairly under the law had been flagrantly ignored.
In response, the union has demanded the immediate recall of all sacked workers, warning that failure to comply will compel PENGASSAN to explore all legal avenues available under the Nigerian Constitution and labor laws. The union stressed the importance of ethical employment practices and called on the refinery management to honor its social responsibility towards Nigerian communities and workforce.
The ongoing dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN reflects broader concerns about labor practices in Nigeria’s expanding industrial sectors, highlighting the tension between profit-driven corporate decisions and workers’ rights protection.
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