The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has revealed that it has placed all its members on red alert following the ongoing dispute between PENGASSAN and Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
This was disclosed by Comrade Mubarak Buba Yarima, its Kano State Chairman, in an exclusive interview with newsmen.
According to Yarima, a former PENGASSAN member, if today’s Abuja meeting between the federal government, PENGASSAN, and Dangote Refinery does not result in a settlement, TUC, the umbrella organisation of trade organisations, is willing to join the strike.
“We have already placed our members on red alert. Once we received a communique from PENGASSAN; we have made it clear we are standing by. You cannot trample on workers’ rights and expect us to keep quiet,” he stated.
PENGASSAN said that Dangote Refinery had fired hundreds of employees for joining the association, and that some of them had been replaced by foreigners, further dividing the oil industry. According to the union, the action violated fundamental rights and constituted victimisation.
More recently, today, Maigari Dingyadi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has called both parties to an urgent meeting in Abuja. According to Patience Onuobia, a ministry official, the minister warned of severe economic and security repercussions and urged PENGASSAN to reevaluate the strike.
However, Yarima insisted Dangote must respect labour rights. “We are not denying that Dangote has invested heavily, creating jobs, and we supported his efforts. But that does not excuse dismissing workers for joining a union. Total, Shell, and others have been here for decades and they all have unions—so why is this different?”
He stressed that TUC’s demand is simple-fairness. “We are not asking for anything out of the ordinary or lobbying for money. We just want him to do the right thing and give those workers back their jobs,” he said.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
