The rift between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has escalated, following the suspension of salaries for engineers disengaged during the September industrial crisis. The development has intensified anxiety among affected workers, who insist the company has reneged on earlier assurances while PENGASSAN continues to push for a negotiated settlement.
Redeployment Clash Sparks Tension
Investigations reveal that the Dangote Group stopped the engineers’ November salaries after many rejected redeployment to coal mines, rice mills, and road construction projects across Zamfara, Borno, Benue, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Ebonyi states.
Although a few accepted the postings, most workers declined, insisting the locations were unsafe and the directives irregular. They said the letters issued tagged “Offer of Trainee Engagement” provided no specific reporting offices in the states, raising fears of procedural traps that could automatically terminate their employment.
A senior Dangote official, who spoke anonymously, defended the company’s stand, arguing that it made “reasonable alternative placements” and could not continue paying workers who refused them. The refinery insists the redeployment is part of a broader restructuring effort, not victimisation.
Union Maintains Negotiation Path
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said the union has continued its dialogue with the company since the nationwide shutdown in September and stressed that although it has made progress, several issues remain unresolved.
Osifo noted that the union prefers “jaw-jaw over war-war” but warned that PENGASSAN would not hesitate to take necessary action if discussions break down. He emphasised that the goal is to achieve a fair settlement that protects workers’ rights and prevents fresh disruptions in the oil and gas sector.
However, Dangote Group insists that while the union has the right to demand fairness, the company must make decisions that align with its operational priorities.
Workers Cry Foul as Stalemate Drags
Some of the affected engineers say the suspension of their wages amounts to betrayal, accusing the refinery of breaching an alleged agreement to continue salary payments pending full resolution. Their October pay was reportedly slashed before the complete halt in November.
They also fault the change in redeployment scope, claiming that earlier discussions suggested they would be transferred to Dangote’s oil and gas subsidiaries not coal projects or rice mills.
Now stranded between unemployment and deployments many consider unsafe, the workers await the outcome of ongoing talks. The stalemate has created renewed uncertainty, heightening industry concerns about another potential shutdown if negotiations collapse.
As both parties hold firmly to their positions, the resolution of the dispute will depend heavily on the success of ongoing engagements between PENGASSAN, the Dangote Group, and other industry stakeholders.