The President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Festus Osifo, says the union will resume strike action if the Dangote Group fails to honour the terms of the agreement that led to the suspension of its ongoing industrial action.
Osifo made this known during a news conference on Wednesday at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, convened to review the government’s intervention in the prolonged dispute.
The strike, he recalled, was triggered by the reported dismissal of more than 800 Nigerian workers by Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Limited after they voluntarily joined PENGASSAN.
Osifo described the sack as an attack on workers’ constitutional rights and a breach of Nigeria’s obligations under International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions that guarantee freedom of association.
“Let it be known clearly that if there is any slip or breach in implementing this agreement, we shall immediately resume our suspended nationwide industrial action,” he warned.
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He explained that NEC suspended the strike out of respect for institutions, despite serious concerns about loopholes in the government-brokered deal with the company.
“Our position was simple: bring them back to their original jobs. Government proposed a middle ground instead, and that remains our greatest reservation with the settlement,” Osifo said, noting that redeployment within other Dangote-owned companies had been offered in place of reinstatement.
He stressed that while the union reluctantly accepted the compromise, the priority remained ensuring the affected workers could return to work and support their families.
“We will not wait endlessly if nothing happens. We suspended the action in good faith, but the moment we detect any foul play or gimmicks, we will return to the trenches immediately,” he added.
