The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide strike following a truce reached with the management of Dangote Refinery and the intervention of the federal government.
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, announced the suspension at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, after a marathon negotiation chaired at the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He warned, however, that the union would not hesitate to resume industrial action if the agreement is violated.
The dispute arose after Dangote Refinery dismissed more than 800 employees, shortly after they registered with PENGASSAN.
The company had accused the workers of sabotage, but the union countered that the dismissals breached Nigerian labour laws, International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, and constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of association.
In protest, PENGASSAN members shut down export terminals, blocked vessel operations, and sealed offices in oil and gas facilities across the country.
Following days of tense negotiations, a joint communiqué was issued on Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dangote Group agreed to redeploy all affected workers to other subsidiaries within the conglomerate without any loss of pay.
The ministry also reaffirmed that unionisation is a fundamental right of workers under Nigerian law and must be respected.
“No worker will be victimised for their role in this dispute,” the ministry stressed.
Speaking at the briefing, Osifo dismissed claims that the strike was driven by union dues.
He insisted that PENGASSAN acted solely to defend workers’ rights.
“Two weeks ago, over 800 Nigerians voluntarily joined our union. Days later, they were sacked in bulk with a single letter. We found that unacceptable,” Osifo said.
He added that beyond the immediate job losses, the accusations of sabotage levelled against the dismissed workers could damage their future employment prospects.
“We laugh when people claim this was about money. The combined salaries of those 800 workers do not equal what just 20 of our members earn in some international oil firms. This was about justice, dignity, and their right to unionise,” he explained.
Despite welcoming the resolution, Osifo expressed doubts over Dangote Refinery’s sincerity.
He said the strike was suspended out of respect for the government’s mediation, but warned:
“This is a suspension in good faith, not blind trust. The moment there is a breach, we will return to the trenches without hesitation.”
