After days of tense negotiations, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have reached a truce over the mass sack of about 800 refinery staff. Under the agreement brokered by the Federal Government, the disengaged workers will be recalled and redeployed to other subsidiaries within the Dangote Group without loss of pay.

The peace deal followed a marathon conciliation meeting convened by the Ministry of Labour and Employment after PENGASSAN threatened to cut gas supply to the refinery and withdraw services nationwide.

The high-powered talks, which held on September 29 and 30 at the office of the National Security Adviser, were attended by the NSA, key ministers, heads of security and intelligence agencies, chief executives of petroleum regulators, representatives of NNPC, the leadership of TUC and PENGASSAN, as well as Dangote Group officials.

In a communique signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, both sides agreed that no worker would be victimised for participating in the dispute. The statement reaffirmed workers’ right to unionisation as guaranteed by Nigerian law.

The communique added:

The disengaged staff will be absorbed into other Dangote Group companies.

PENGASSAN will begin the process of suspending its strike action.

Both parties resolved to implement the agreement in good faith.

The agreement effectively averts an industrial crisis that could have disrupted operations at Africa’s biggest refinery and strained Nigeria’s energy sector.