By Abiola Olawale
The Federal Government has sent an invitation to the officials of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery for an emergency meeting.
It was gathered that the meeting is aimed at averting what has been described as a nationwide industrial crisis.
This comes as PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery are locked in an escalating feud over labor rights.
The PENGASSAN had already directed its members to embark on a nationwide strike beginning from Monday over the alleged sacking of its members.
The Union also directed its members to cut the gas supply to Dangote refinery.
However, Dangote Refinery management denied any anti-labor motives, attributing the restructuring to “acts of sabotage” that have threatened operations at the $20 billion facility. In a statement, the company reaffirmed its commitment to voluntary union association, in line with national and international standards.
Responding to the development, Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, announced that his Ministry has taken steps to bring both parties to a roundtable to stop their dispute from escalating further.
Dingyadi disclosed that invitations have been extended to both the leadership of PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery management to attend an emergency meeting in his office on Monday for the conciliation of their dispute.
This was contained in a statement issued by Patience Onuobia, Head, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Labour and Employment
The statement reads in part: “The Ministry of Labour and Employment, through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, has extended invitations to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of its economy. A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses for the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequently, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security.”
The Minister urged the feuding parties to give peace a chance, assuring them that the Federal Government would resolve the dispute amicably to the satisfaction of all the parties involved and in the national interest.
