The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, implemented the shutdown of the Dangote Refinery plant on Sunday.

This was contained in an update on the striking union’s action against Dangote Refinery over mass sacking.

The union said its members have shut all oil installations nationwide.

It noted that the refinery plant is 100 per cent shut down; fertiliser plant train two is also 100 per cent shut, with train one running at 60 per cent capacity.

The union added that the diesel plant is still running at the moment. However, the development has not been confirmed by Dangote Refinery.

The implication is that crude and gas supply to the refinery have been disrupted.

Recall that in a statement on Saturday, Dangote Refinery described the PENGASSAN directive as economic sabotage.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on Sunday urged Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN to engage in dialogue to resolve the rift.

The dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN started after the former sacked over 800 workers for belonging to the union.

The industrial dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) took a dramatic turn on Saturday as the union ordered seven branches to cut off crude oil and gas supplies to the $20 billion facility.

In a 26 September letter by PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery’s management of sacking its members in retaliation for exercising their constitutional right to join the union.

The union’s move marks an escalation in the standoff, with PENGASSAN accusing the refinery of anti-labour practices and the unlawful sack of its members.

In the directive issued to its branch chairmen, PENGASSAN instructed its branch chairmen in key upstream and midstream oil companies, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company, to immediately cut off all crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.

The directive comes after PENGASSAN alleged that Nigerian workers were sacked by Dangote Refinery after joining the union, claiming that management also withdrew staff buses and denied entry to locals while allowing expatriates access.

The union threatened to picket the refinery if the situation was not addressed.

In a statement on Friday, the refinery clarified that only a small number of workers were affected by what it described as a reorganisation aimed at preventing acts of sabotage within the facility. It said over 3,000 Nigerians remain in employment, rejecting claims of mass layoffs.

Dangote Refinery maintained that the restructuring was necessary after what it described as recurring acts of sabotage in different units of the refinery, which posed serious risks to human lives and operations.
As a result, PENGASSAN instructed its branches in TotalEnergies, Seplat, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, Renaissance, and NGIC to cut gas supply to the refinery immediately.

The union described the move as ‘illegitimate’ and accused the refinery of spreading misinformation instead of addressing the matter through dialogue.

The directive read: ‘As you are aware, the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to being unionized.

‘They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong.

‘Consequent to these, you are hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC effective immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately’.

The union further mandated the NGIC Chairman to ensure strict compliance with the order and told all branch chairmen to give regular updates on the action taken.

‘NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately. All chairmen on this summons are to report promptly the progress of the directive. Kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem. Thank you’, the statement read.

Reaffirming its solidarity, PENGASSAN ended the directive with its slogan: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”

On Thursday, the company announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from September 28 following the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed displeasure over what it described as the anti-labour practices perpetuated by Dangote Refinery.

PENGASSAN, in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, accused the private refinery of unjustly terminating the employment of over 800 Nigerian workers.

“We are deeply saddened to report the unjust termination of over 800 Nigerian workers, whose dedication and service have been integral to the operations of this plant. Instead of valuing and retaining this workforce, Management has chosen to replace these qualified Nigerians with over 2,000 Indian workers, many of whom lack valid immigration documentation,” the association stated.

It said that the termination not only undermined the livelihoods of the citizens but also raised serious concerns about the integrity of labour practices and compliance with the Labour Act of Nigeria.

“Under Section 7 of the Labour Act, which prohibits discrimination and ensures the right to fair treatment in the workplace, the actions of Dangote Refinery are glaringly in violation of our labour laws.

“The dismissal of such a significant number of Nigerian workers without due consultation or any transparent justification contravenes the legal rights granted to all employees in Nigeria,” it said.

PENGASSAN, however, warned that it would not tolerate the “blatant disregard” for the rights of Nigerian workers, “particularly in light of the existing provisions under the Trade Union Act, which enshrines the right of workers to organise and join trade unions”.

It explained that the recent organisation of the workers as members of PENGASSAN underscored their collective power and right to protection under the law.

“We emphasise that such actions illustrate a troubling trend towards the marginalisation of Nigerian workers in favour of foreign labour, which we cannot, and will not, tolerate. The sacrifice and talents of our workforce deserve respect, and we demand accountability from employers who possess a social responsibility to the communities they operate in,” the statement partly read.

PENGASSAN further called on the management of the Dangote Refinery to recall all terminated Nigerian workers, warning that it would commence exploring all sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the relevant labour laws if the company failed to recall the workers.

“Furthermore, we would be remiss to overlook the broader implications of Dangote Group’s capitalistic pursuits beyond the confines of the refinery sector. Instances of exploitative practices have been reported in various sectors where the company maintains significant business interests.

“The relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of local talent, ethical employment practices, and community welfare is unacceptable. PENGASSAN, therefore, urges the management of the Dangote Refinery to recall all terminated Nigerian workers.

“Failure to comply will leave us with no option but to commence exploring all sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the relevant labour laws. We stand resolute in our commitment to uphold the rights of Nigerian workers and will take all necessary legal actions open to us as an Association to ensure that they are afforded the dignity and respect they deserve,” the statement added.