1 month ago
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Efforts by the national authorities to broker bid betwixt the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Group ended successful a stalemate connected Monday night, leaving the nationwide onslaught by lipid workers unresolved.
The meeting, convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, brought authorities officials, national leaders, and representatives of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to the dialog array successful Abuja.
However, aft hours of talks, nary statement was reached.
The strike, which began yesterday, is rooted successful NUPENG’s accusations that the Dangote Group has adopted anti-labour practices by barring unionisation astatine its refinery and seeking to predominate the lipid proviso chain. Labour leaders importune that these actions endanger some workers’ rights and the wider economy.
Addressing reporters aft the talks, Dingyadi admitted the process had breached down but expressed optimism that advancement could inactive beryllium made.
“We person not been capable to scope a last statement connected this substance due to the fact that we had a stalemate; it was getting late, truthful we had to telephone disconnected the gathering until tomorrow. Both parties person tried to perceive and cooperate to the champion of their ability, but determination are ever issues that radical cannot easy hold on. By the grace of God, time we should beryllium capable to benignant them retired and get some parties to hold connected thing that volition guarantee the onslaught is called off,” the curate said.
Speaking to journalists aft the meeting, the acting wide caput of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Benson Upah, who led the NUPENG delegation, stated that the talks collapsed aft the Dangote typical walked retired connected some the curate and the unions.
“The typical of the Dangote Refinery walked retired connected the Minister and organised labour, adjacent erstwhile we bent implicit backwards to accommodate his uncompromising behaviour; helium inactive did what helium had to do. So we are near with nary enactment but to bash the needful; the enactment continues,” Upah said.
He dismissed concerns that the onslaught would worsen the plight of mean Nigerians, arguing that the union’s combat was successful their interest.
“We cannot basal by and spot an capitalist whose main intent is to enslave Nigerians. It is unfortunate that astatine this constituent successful clip we are dealing with an capitalist whose main nonsubjective is to authorities that determination cannot beryllium a national successful his establishment. He wants to monopolise the full strategy and adjacent predominate the workers alongside him; this we said nary to,” helium declared.
Talks are expected to resume contiguous portion the onslaught continues to disrupt petroleum organisation nationwide.
Oil Workers’ Strike Fails To Disrupt Nationwide Fuel Supply
Senior lipid workers nether the auspices Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) person declared their enactment for the ongoing onslaught by lipid workers crossed the country.
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) called the onslaught connected Monday.
PENGASSAN’s wide secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, said yesterday that if the ongoing concern persists without a resolution, PENGASSAN volition person nary enactment but to articulation successful shutting down the refinery operations arsenic a past edifice to support its members’ rights and interests.
NUPENG had past week expressed reservations astir the presumption of the president of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, that drivers recruited for the cognition of its 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks imported into the state would not beryllium allowed to articulation immoderate commercialized union.
The Union described the presumption taken by the absorption of Dangote Refinery arsenic an affront to the close to the state of relation guaranteed nether the 1999 Constitution, and a breach of applicable planetary labour laws to which Nigeria is simply a signatory.
PENGASSAN said, “We privation to enactment connected grounds that Dangote Refinery absorption has been resisting imaginable members of some PENGASSAN and NUPENG from joining the Association since its inception.
“All diplomatic efforts to transportation the company’s absorption person not yielded the desired result. It is with heavy interest that PENGASSAN observes the expanding absorption to unionisation astatine the Dangote Refinery. The continued denial of workers’ rights volition nary longer beryllium tolerated going forward.”
Despite the strike, substance stations successful large cities specified arsenic Lagos and Abuja remained operational, providing immoderate alleviation to consumers amid concerns implicit substance shortages.
Industry analysts pass that if the onslaught persists, disruptions could escalate, perchance impacting proviso chains and causing substance scarcity extracurricular the large municipality centres.
Meanwhile, authorities officials are reportedly negotiating with national leaders to find a resolut...
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