Dangote wants Nigeria constitution suspended for his profit maximization — TUC

…Says nary capitalist is bigger than Nigerian law

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Trade Union Congress, TUC, has accused the absorption of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals of seeking to override Nigeria’s constitution to maximise profit, insisting that workers’ rights indispensable not beryllium sacrificed nether immoderate guise.

Chairman of TUC, Oyo State, and erstwhile National Financial Secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Bosun Olabiyi, said successful a connection that portion Nigerians stay grateful to Dangote for his bold concern successful the lipid and state sector, it would beryllium unacceptable for immoderate leader to effort to contradict workers their cardinal close to organise.

Olabiyi said.: “Dangote has done good by investing implicit 20 cardinal dollars into gathering the largest refinery successful Africa, and Nigerians admit the value of that achievement.“But the information is simple: helium did not put arsenic a charity. He invested to marque profit, and that is legitimate. What is not morganatic is asking workers to question his support earlier exercising rights that the Nigerian Constitution and planetary conventions freely warrant them.”

Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98 connected state of relation and corporate bargaining, Olabiyi stressed that unionisation is not negotiable.

According to him: “No capitalist is bigger than Nigerian law. The Constitution is clear, and Nigeria is simply a signatory to planetary conventions that support workers. Dangote cannot inquire for an objection due to the fact that of his investment. If Total, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Agip, Shell, Halliburton, NNPC and NLNG person operated for decades successful Nigeria with unions, determination is nary crushed wherefore Dangote should beryllium different.”

Olabiyi said workers astatine the refinery had agelong expressed concerns astir their payment and conditions of service, which yet pushed them to question practice nether PENGASSAN.

The Oyo State TUC president said that determination was wrong their ineligible right. “For the avoidance of doubt, workers successful immoderate organisation—public oregon private—have the close to corporate bargaining. Even if an employment declaration says otherwise, specified a clause is null and void to the grade that it conflicts with the Constitution and labour laws,” helium explained.

He recalled that successful 2016, the lawsuit of Baker Hughes workers was resolved successful favour of the employees erstwhile they challenged akin restrictions.

“The Federal Ministry of Labour and the National Industrial Court person consistently upheld that workers’ rights to unionise cannot beryllium negotiated away,” helium added.

The TUC person besides challenged claims that national activities could cripple businesses, describing specified fears arsenic unfounded.

Olabiyi said.: “It is simply a prevarication from the pit of hellhole to accidental unions termination businesses. If unions person not killed Total, Mobil, Chevron, NNPC, NLNG oregon adjacent the backstage universities wherever lecturers are escaped to unionise, past unionism volition not termination Dangote Refinery. What unions bash is to make a level for dialogue, fairness, and stability.”

He urged the Dangote Group to clasp dialog and travel established labour traditions successful the lipid and state industry, wherever corporate bargaining ensures concern harmony.

“Dangote indispensable travel down from his precocious equine and unfastened the country for negotiation, conscionable arsenic different multinational companies person done. PENGASSAN is not an force of concern growth; successful each institution we operate, we person shown that we are collaborators for concern success,” helium said.

Olabiyi further appealed to authorities and Nigerians astatine ample to prevail connected Dangote Group to respect the law.

“Before Dangote Refinery was licensed, it agreed to abide by the laws of the land. Now is the clip to abide. We convey him for his investment, but helium indispensable recognize that nett cannot travel astatine the disbursal of workers’ welfare,” helium insisted.

Calling for solidarity, helium added labour “An wounded to 1 is an wounded to all. Injury to Dangote Refinery workers is wounded to each Nigerian workers. The payment of workers is non-negotiable, and we volition proceed to support it.”

The station <...