By John Umeh
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced the suspension of its nationwide strike, which began on Monday, September 27, over a dispute with the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the association’s president, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the decision to pause the industrial action followed the federal government’s mediation efforts and the union’s respect for national institutions.
Osifo explained that although the union remains concerned about aspects of the government’s communiqué on the issue, it opted to stand down in the interest of dialogue. He, however, warned that the strike could resume without notice if any party violates the agreement reached.
“We still suspect Dangote may not keep faith with the terms, but we are giving government the benefit of the doubt. Should there be any breach, we will immediately resume the suspended action without notice,” he cautioned.
PENGASSAN had embarked on the strike after the Dangote Refinery reportedly dismissed about 800 Nigerian workers for forming a union, replacing them with 200 foreign employees, mainly from India. The action sparked outrage within the labour community, prompting nationwide protests.
Following several rounds of talks mediated by the federal government, an agreement was reached in the early hours of Tuesday. As part of the compromise, Dangote Refinery is expected to reinstate the dismissed workers while further negotiations continue on unresolved issues.
The suspension of the strike offers a temporary reprieve for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which had braced for significant disruptions to production and supply if the industrial action continued.
