The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has agreed to suspend its nationwide strike following a commitment from Dangote Refinery to redeploy over 800 disengaged workers. The announcement came after a two-day conciliation meeting held in Abuja.
The conciliatory talks, facilitated by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari-Dingyadi, brought together key stakeholders including the National Security Adviser, Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and State for Petroleum (Gas), alongside the Department of State Security (DSS) and labour leaders.
PENGASSAN’s strike began in response to Dangote Refinery’s termination of appointments for more than eight hundred union members amid a workforce reorganization by the company. The union accused the refinery of violating labour laws and replacing Nigerian workers with foreign personnel.
However, the refinery’s management maintained that the retrenchments were strictly due to operational restructuring and denied targeting union members.
The stoppage of gas supply and withdrawal of services caused widespread concern about the potential fallout on Nigeria’s energy supply chain and economic stability. The Federal Government’s intervention emphasized the importance of resolving the dispute swiftly to protect national interests.
With the agreement in place, PENGASSAN has begun the process of calling off the strike, marking a hopeful end to a potentially damaging industrial action. Both parties pledged to implement the resolutions in good faith, with the government to monitor progress and ensure compliance.
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