PENGASSAN alleges mass transfer of members out of Dangote refinery

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has accused the absorption of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals of transferring its members, including Nigerian engineers, to different subsidiaries successful an effort to weaken its beingness astatine the facility.
In a petition by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Branch, addressed to the Lagos Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN, the national alleged that Nigerian engineers who joined the relation had been redeployed to Dangote Sugar and different concern units nether circumstances it considers punitive.
According to the petition by Branch Chairman, Abdulfatai Muhammed, and Secretary, Eseoghene Choice, the enactment contradicts Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees workers’ close to state of association.
The national besides raised concerns astir moving conditions astatine the refinery, alleging that galore engineers deficiency capable idiosyncratic protective equipment, PPE, and are exposed to hazardous environments without hazard allowance, wellness insurance, oregon compensation.
On remuneration, PENGASSAN claimed that Nigerian engineers astatine the refinery are among the lowest paid successful the midstream and upstream lipid and state sector, contempt the delicate quality of their jobs. It further claimed that expatriates inhabit the bulk of apical absorption positions astatine the refinery, contrary to the intent of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
The petition further criticised the refinery’s caller determination to merchantability petrol exclusively successful dollars, informing that the argumentation could weaken the naira, substance inflation, and impact Nigeria’s vigor security.
“The accordant signifier of behaviour reflects victimisation of Nigerian workers, breach of the constitution, and policies that undermine the nationalist interest,” the national stated.
The relation called connected the enactment of PENGASSAN, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and applicable authorities agencies to urgently intervene, describing the substance arsenic 1 of “urgent nationalist importance.”
Dangote refinery had earlier dismissed allegations of wide sack and unfair attraction of Nigerian workers, insisting that much than 3,000 Nigerians are presently employed astatine the plant.
The institution explained that expatriates were engaged to supply method expertise and cognition transportation and maintained that Nigerians stay the bulk of its workforce.

The station PENGASSAN alleges wide transportation of members retired of Dangote refinery appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.