The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery, following a federal government-facilitated agreement. PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, announced the suspension during a press conference in Abuja, stating that the union’s National Executive Council decided to put the strike on hold to allow for the reinstatement of 800 sacked Dangote Refinery workers.

“We are suspending and monitoring closely. Any slip on the part of Dangote, any part of this agreement, or any communiqué put out by the Ministry of Labour that is broken, will not give any notice; we will resume the suspended strike,” he said.

He also pointed out that some “grey areas” remain in the communiqué, which neither the government nor refinery management could fully clarify.

Key Terms of the Agreement:

– Reinstatement of Sacked Workers: Dangote Group will reabsorb the dismissed workers into other group companies with no loss of pay.
– No Victimization: No worker will be victimized for participating in the dispute.
– Unionization Rights: The agreement recognizes workers’ right to unionize, as stipulated by Nigerian law.

Osifo warned that PENGASSAN would resume the strike without notice if Dangote Refinery fails to honor the agreement. The union’s decision to suspend the strike comes after a two-day meeting between PENGASSAN, Dangote Refinery, and the federal government, which included the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, and other top government officials.

The strike, which began on September 28, was prompted by Dangote Refinery’s dismissal of over 800 workers who joined PENGASSAN. The protest had caused fuel scarcity in some parts of the country, including Abuja, and disrupted electricity generation.