The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) decided to halt its industrial action after a successful mediation by the federal government between the union and the Dangote Group.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Labour and Employment issued on Tuesday evening, the agreement paves the way for the unionisation of Dangote Group employees within two weeks, from September 9 to September 22.
The ministry’s statement emphasised that no Dangote Group employee will face repercussions due to the labour dispute.
Previously, NUPENG had initiated a strike due to the Dangote Group’s initial resistance to allowing its workers to join registered labour unions.
The federal government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, facilitated a dialogue between the two parties to resolve the conflict.
Sources indicate that the resolution was reached during an extended meeting that began on Monday night.
The communique from the meeting revealed that the Dangote Group acknowledged the importance of permitting workers to join unions, stating, “they are not averse to the Unionisation of their employees.”
The organised labour, in response, affirmed that “Since workers’ Unionisation is a right, in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of the Dangote Refinery and Unionisation of employees of Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionise.”
It was further agreed that “Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee not the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised.”
The parties are expected to report back to the Minister of Labour within one week following the conclusion of the discussions. Based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), NUPENG agreed to suspend the strike with immediate effect.
The communique was signed by Sayyu Dantata on behalf of the Dangote Group, while Benson Upah represented the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and N. Toro represented the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on behalf of organised labour.
