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Dangote agrees to let refinery workers join NUPENG after talks.
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MoU to be signed within two weeks to formalise deal.
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Agreement averts planned strike by oil and gas workers.
The Dangote Group has agreed to allow workers at its refinery and petrochemical operations to join the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), following pressure from organised labour.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the resolution was reached on Monday night during a closed-door meeting convened by the Federal Government with NUPENG executives and representatives of the Dangote Group in Abuja.
According to reports, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is being prepared and is expected to be signed by all parties within two weeks.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, alongside the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
Also in attendance were the national leaders of NUPENG, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and officials from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), led by Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha. Representatives of MRS Petroleum and the Dangote Group were also present.
NUPENG had last week threatened to withdraw its members from work beginning Monday, September 8, over allegations that the Dangote Refinery was preventing its compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers from joining labour unions.
The standoff had raised fears of disruptions in fuel distribution and potential industrial action within the downstream oil and gas sector.
Monday’s agreement is seen as a major breakthrough in averting the strike, with labour leaders describing it as a win for workers’ rights and freedom of association as enshrined in Nigeria’s labour laws.
The final signing of the MoU and its implementation in the coming weeks is expected to cement the understanding reached between the Dangote Group, government, and organised labour.
