FG moves to avert NUPENG strike, summons Dangote to meeting

The Federal Government has moved to defuse a looming industrial crisis between the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Refinery, summoning both parties to a conciliation meeting in Abuja.

Labour Minister, Muhammad Dingyadi, in a statement issued by the ministry’s head of information, Patience Onuobia, appealed to NUPENG to suspend its planned nationwide strike and urged the Nigeria Labour Congress to withdraw its “red alert” issued in solidarity with the oil workers.

He warned that any disruption in the petroleum sector would cause severe economic hardship and significant revenue losses for the government.

NUPENG had announced plans to commence strike action today, accusing Dangote Refinery of anti-union practices, particularly the alleged exclusion of new drivers hired for its compressed natural gas (CNG) tankers from joining the union.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have also appealed for dialogue.

PETROAN declared support for NUPENG and warned that many of its members, who are union affiliates, would not work if the dispute remained unresolved.

However, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) and members of NUPENG’s Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch have dissociated themselves from the planned strike.

The DTCDA stressed that union membership is voluntary under the Nigerian Constitution, while PTD members publicly rejected the strike call and urged for peace.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, urging Dangote and his companies to comply with labour laws and international standards.

The NLC condemned what it described as anti-union tactics and warned that tolerating such practices could erode collective bargaining rights across the country.