The Federal Government has announced that the Dangote Group will redeploy workers earlier disengaged from its refinery operations, following the successful resolution of its dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the redeployed staff would not suffer any loss of pay.
“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, it was agreed that the management of Dangote Group shall immediately begin the process of redeploying the affected staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay. No worker will be victimised for their role in the dispute between Dangote and PENGASSAN,” Dingyadi stated.
He added that both sides had reached a compromise, with PENGASSAN agreeing to begin the process of calling off its strike. “Both parties entered into this understanding in good faith,” the minister said.
Union Rights Reaffirmed
Dingyadi emphasized that unionisation is a fundamental right of Nigerian workers under the law and must always be respected.
The conciliatory breakthrough followed earlier deadlocked talks between the refinery management and PENGASSAN, which had accused Dangote Refinery of mass dismissals and transfers of union members, as well as allegedly replacing Nigerian workers with expatriates — allegations the company strongly denied.
Averted Economic Disruption
The standoff escalated when PENGASSAN halted gas and crude oil supplies to the refinery, threatening potential disruptions to the nation’s energy security and economic stability.
The Federal Government intervened, convening high-level talks after warning of the “adverse effects on the economy and energy supply” if the dispute lingered.
Following the agreement, government officials expressed optimism that the resolution would not only safeguard jobs but also strengthen industrial harmony in the nation’s energy sector.
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