NLC Places Unions on Red Alert Over Dangote-PENGASSAN Dispute
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has placed all its affiliate unions on red alert following the escalating rift between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Group. The dispute stems from allegations that Dangote is preventing workers from joining unions, particularly in its newly recruited compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker fleet, a move unions describe as an attack on labour rights.
PENGASSAN had earlier threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if Dangote failed to allow its workers to freely unionise. In response, the NLC has declared full solidarity with PENGASSAN, warning that it will mobilise its member unions to resist any attempt to undermine workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour, has stepped in to mediate the crisis by summoning both Dangote and PENGASSAN for negotiations. Discussions are ongoing over a possible Memorandum of Understanding to safeguard union rights and prevent further escalation.
Unions across the country are closely monitoring the outcome, insisting that unless Dangote Group complies with labour laws and respects workers’ rights, they will not hesitate to embark on coordinated industrial actions. The development has heightened concerns of possible disruptions in the oil and gas sector should the standoff remain unresolved.
