By Obinna Uballa
Nigeria faces an imminent fuel shortage as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared full support for the planned strike action by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) against Dangote Group.
NUPENG had announced on Friday that it would commence a nationwide industrial action from tomorrow, Sunday, over what it described as “anti-union practices, monopolistic tendencies, and indecent labour relations” by the Dangote conglomerate.
In a statement released on Saturday, NLC President Joe Ajaero warned that the labour movement would not allow any company to “enslave the Nigerian working class or trample on hard-won union rights.”
“We stand in total solidarity with NUPENG against the Dangote Group’s anti-union, anti-worker agenda and monopolistic capitalist strategy,” the statement said.
The NLC accused Dangote companies of “consistent union-busting, exploitative labour practices, and monopolistic capture of markets, including cement, sugar, flour, and now petroleum products.”
According to Ajaero, Dangote Refinery pays some of the lowest wages in the oil and gas sector and employs foreign nationals for roles qualified Nigerians can perform, citing the case of Indian welders and fitters hired while locals remained jobless.
“Instead of creating jobs and promoting national self-sufficiency as promised, the Dangote Group is using state backing to eliminate competition and manipulate prices, deepening poverty and hardship,” Ajaero alleged, describing the company’s business model as unacceptable.
The labour body also condemned what it called alleged attempts by the company to bar drivers from joining NUPENG or any oil and gas union, warning that this violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Labour Act, and international labour conventions.
“If this is allowed to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent where big corporations openly defy Nigerian laws, enslave workers, and destroy collective bargaining,” NLC said.
The NLC urged the Federal Government to intervene immediately and compel the leadership of the Dangote Group to comply with Nigerian labour laws, adding that failure to act would make regulators complicit in the “privatisation of the nation’s energy future.”
“We place all Nigerian workers, state councils, and industrial unions on red alert to mobilise for a united front against the Dangote Group’s anti-worker agenda,” Ajaero stated.
The New Diplomat reports that If the strike proceeds, it could disrupt fuel distribution nationwide.
“The attack on NUPENG is an attack on all of us,” NLC said. “Our solidarity is not negotiable. We will fight because we must.”
