The Nigerian Government has brokered a truce between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
According to the communiqué issued and signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari-Dingyadi, at the end of a two-day conciliation meeting, the meeting resolved that unionisation is a fundamental right of workers under the Nigerian law and should be respected by the company.
It was further agreed that the management of Dangote Group should immediately begin the redeployment of the affected workers into other subsidiaries within the group without any loss of pay.
The meeting also resolved that no worker would be victimised for participating in the dispute between PENGASSAN and the company.
PENGASSAN in turn agreed to commence the process of calling off its strike, while both parties pledged to implement the resolutions in good faith
The meeting was held on Monday and Tuesday and it brought together the National Security Adviser, Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and State for Petroleum (Gas), alongside the DSS, NIA, NNPCL, NMDPRA, NUPRC and labour leaders.
It will be recalled that the conciliation was convened after PENGASSAN directed its members to stop gas supply and withdraw services from the Dangote Refinery.
The union had accused the Dangote Refinery of terminating the employment of more than 800 of its members, which triggered the industrial action, while the Dangote Refinery had claimed that the disengagement of the workers was due to an ongoing restructuring exercise in the company.
GIK/APA
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