AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja
Reprieve for Nigerians, as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday, finally suspended its nationwide strike after days of crippling industrial action that halted crude oil production, disrupted exports, and shut down energy facilities across the country.
The industrial action which started during the weekend, was as a result of the immediate dismissal of over 800 workers employed by Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals.
PENGASSAN, reacting to the development, alleged that the workers were targeted and dismissed for joining the union.
Dangote action, led to a rapid response from PENGASSAN, whose members shut down export terminals, blocked vessel loading, and locked offices across oil and gas facilities.
After a non stop negotiations involving the federal government, labour leaders, and security agencies, a communique was signed late Tuesday.
Addressing newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, PENGASSAN president, Festus Osifo, emphasised that the union’s action was not motivated by dues or levies, but by the fundamental principle of defending workers’ rights, noting that the association had no choice but to act after the mass sack.
He said: “About two weeks ago, over 800 Nigerians voluntarily subscribed to join PENGASSAN.
Within days of notifying management, all of them were dismissed with a single letter.
When these people were hired, they were given individual letters, but when it came to termination, one single letter was used to throw all of them out.
We found that unacceptable. For us, injury to one is truly injury to all. When you fight one, you fight all.”
Osifo refuted claims in some quarters that the strike was about financial gain, stressing that the meager salaries of the dismissed workers could not compare to what senior PENGASSAN members earned in other multinational oil companies.
According to him: “We laugh when people say we went on strike because of dues. The total salary of those 800 members put together is less than what just 20 of our members earn in some international oil firms.
This was never about money. It was about their freedom of association, their right to join a union, and their right to fight for better conditions of service.
That is why they came to us.”
The PENGASSAN president further highlighted the broader danger of the accusations levelled against the sacked workers, many of whom were young graduates and trainees.
“Some of these people were just finishing university. Yet management accused them of sabotage, a very dangerous label in our industry.
Once such allegations are made public, these workers may never get another job again. They did nothing wrong other than exercising their rights under the Nigerian Constitution and international labour conventions”, he said.
Osifo also stated that PENGASSAN is skeptical about the company’s promises to reinstate the workers but said it decided to suspend the strike out of respect for the government and the mediation process.
“Yes, we understand that Dangote does not respect rules of engagement.
Yes, we suspect that some of the promises may not be kept. But because we respect institutions, because we respect the government, and because officials worked until 4 a.m. to resolve this crisis.
We have chosen to suspend the strike. Let it be clear, this suspension is in good faith, not because we fully trust the process.
The moment we see any breach, we will return to the trenches without notice.”
