The industrial rift between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery was on Monday declared resolved after intervention by the Federal Government.
It was reported that the dispute had been triggered by allegations that mass transfers and sackings of union members had been carried out at the refinery, with claims that some Nigerians had been replaced with foreign nationals.
A mediation meeting was convened in Abuja by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi. Attendance was recorded from leaders of PENGASSAN, representatives of Dangote management, officials of the Ministry of Finance, and directors from both the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
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After extensive deliberations, a resolution was announced. It was agreed that affected workers would be redeployed within the Dangote Group without loss of salary or benefits, and assurances were given that no employee would be victimised for participation in the dispute.
Following the agreement, the nationwide strike earlier declared by PENGASSAN was suspended. Normal operations were said to have been restored at the refinery, and the long-drawn conflict was officially declared ended.
