Strike Continues As PENGASSAN’s Meeting With Federal Government, Dangote Ends In Deadlock

The conciliatory gathering convened by the Federal Government to resoluteness the concern quality betwixt the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery ended successful a deadlock connected Tuesday, aft much than 9 hours of deliberation successful Abuja.

PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, told journalists aft the marathon league that the union’s presumption remained unchanged until the 800 dismissed workers were reinstated.

According to Osifo, the wide termination of workers’ appointments had thrown families into distress and placed galore careers successful jeopardy.

“We person been present for astir 9 hours trying to find solutions. Unfortunately, nary statement was reached due to the fact that what we request is wide – implicit 800 radical person been sent home.

“These radical are fathers and mothers, and their careers are astatine stake. Some were trainees accused of sabotage, and if they permission with that tag, nary institution volition employment them again successful Nigeria. Their futures volition beryllium ruined if due remedy is not enactment successful place. If they are reinstated tonight, we volition telephone disconnected our enactment tonight,” Osifo said.

The national person confirmed that Dangote Refinery admitted to terminating the workers, contrary to earlier denials.

He insisted that letters of dismissal already circulated successful the media proved the company’s action.

“It cannot beryllium mendacious due to the fact that the letters are already successful nationalist view. This is not astir our connection against theirs. They signed and issued those letters,” helium stressed.

Despite the prolonged talks, Osifo announced that the onslaught would proceed until tangible agreements were reached.

“As it is, the onslaught continues until we reconvene contiguous (Tuesday) and spot if a solution tin beryllium found,” helium said.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammad Maigari Dingyadi, acknowledged the deadlock but expressed optimism that advancement had been made.

He said discussions would reconvene astatine 2 p.m. connected Tuesday, September 30, to proceed efforts astatine resolving the crisis.

“We are reconvening aboriginal contiguous successful the day to proceed with the meeting. There are 2 basal issues connected the array – the dismissal of workers and unionisation. We person not arrived astatine immoderate presumption yet, but a batch of advancement has been made.

“What is important is to bounds the harm to the economy. We request to resoluteness this substance rapidly truthful that workers tin instrumentality to their duties, state tin flow, and inputs for accumulation tin resume,” Dingyadi stated.