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The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has denied signing the communiqué that reportedly ended its caller nationwide onslaught implicit its quality with Dangote Refinery, insisting that its halfway concerns remained unresolved.
The strike, which disrupted operations crossed the lipid and state sector, was allegedly suspended connected Wednesday aft government’s intervention. However, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, clarified that the papers presented during the Abuja gathering was not a binding agreement.
“If you spot that communiqué, we did not motion it. Normally, it is expected to beryllium signed by 3 parties. We did not motion due to the fact that we felt that immoderate things successful it were not good with us,” Osifo said connected Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’ connected Thursday.
According to him, the connection released aft the talks was simply a connection from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, who served arsenic main conciliator.
Osifo stressed that PENGASSAN’s absorption was not national dues, arsenic immoderate reports suggested, but the reinstatement of sacked workers.
“When we subjected it to our NEC, we had to determine connected priorities. Some media houses claimed we were lone funny successful check-up dues. That is false. What we prioritised was however our members would instrumentality to enactment and supply for their families,” helium said.
The national person maintained that PENGASSAN’s presumption was clear: “Take the radical backmost to the refinery.”
He added that Dangote Refinery initially resisted reabsorbing the disengaged unit until authorities unit forced a compromise.
Dangote absorption had earlier accused the disengaged workers of attempting to sabotage refinery operations. Osifo dismissed the allegation arsenic damaging and unfounded.
“The merchandise that Dangote made connected workers sabotaging the system was wholly incorrect. If we had allowed that sabotage tag to stand, those 800 radical would not beryllium capable to unafraid jobs successful the future. That stigma would stay forever,” helium lamented.
He insisted that the union’s combat was not astir itself but astir protecting Nigerian workers from unfair treatment.
“If Dangote does not bash the needful, our tools are ever available. We volition ne'er get bushed of struggling for what is right. We person been astir for 50 years earlier the Dangote Refinery came connected stream,” helium declared.
LEADERSHIP reports that connected Wednesday, Labour Minister Mohammed Dingyadi confirmed that some sides had reached a compromise. He said implicit 800 disengaged workers would beryllium redeployed to Dangote Group subsidiaries without nonaccomplishment of pay.
“Unionisation is simply a ineligible close of workers,” the curate stated. “No idiosyncratic volition beryllium victimised for participating successful the dispute.”
The determination to suspend the onslaught besides followed meetings with the National Security Adviser and Dangote management.
Osifo admitted determination were inactive “grey areas” successful the resolutions but said the national acted successful bully faith. He warned that the onslaught could resume without announcement if Dangote failed to honour the commitments.
Before the suspension, PENGASSAN members barricaded the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) office successful Abuja and blocked entrances to regulatory agencies portion chanting solidarity songs.
Recall that the national had accused Dangote Refinery of illegally sacking much than 800 Nigerians and replacing them with “over 2,000 Indians.”
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) threw its value down PENGASSAN. Its Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, said, “We basal successful afloat solidarity with the affected workers. No corp volition beryllium allowed to trample connected workers’ rights.”
Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court successful Abuja had earlier issued a seven-day interim injunction restraining PENGASSAN from continuing the strike. Justice Emmanuel Subilim warned that prolonged disruption could origin irreparable harm and fixed October 13 for further hearing.
Dangote Refinery, commissioned successful May 2023, denied wrongdoing, insisting that its restructuring was indispensable for “safety and efficiency.”
The institution argued that lone a fraction of its 3,000 Nigerian workers were affected and faulted PENGASSAN’s tactics.
“No instrumentality grants PENGASSAN the close to chopped disconnected supplies,” it said successful a statement, cautioning that disruption could harm substance proviso and nationalist revenues.
While the authorities and absorption picture the result arsenic a compromise, PENGASSAN maintains that it remains connected alert.
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