The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has said it did not sign the communiqué that ended its recent strike against Dangote Refinery.
The union suspended the strike on Wednesday after talks with government officials but maintained that its key concerns remain unresolved.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo stated that the communiqué released after the meeting was not an agreement.
“If you see that communiqué, we did not sign it. Normally, it is supposed to be signed by three parties. We did not sign because we felt that some things in it were not okay with us,” Osifo said.
He added that the suspension of the strike was based on a decision by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) to allow members return to work while discussions continue.
PENGASSAN is protesting the alleged dismissal of over 800 Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery. Osifo insisted that the union’s position remains the reinstatement of the disengaged staff.
“The release that Dangote made on workers sabotaging the economy was totally incorrect. If we had allowed that sabotage tag to stand, those 800 people would not be able to secure jobs in the future,” he said.
Labour Minister Mohammed Dingyadi had announced that the workers would be reassigned to subsidiaries of the Dangote Group without loss of pay, assuring that no one would be victimised for participating in the strike.
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Before the suspension, PENGASSAN members had picketed the NNPC headquarters in Abuja and blocked entrances to key oil and gas agencies. The Trade Union Congress also declared support for the protest.
The National Industrial Court had earlier issued an interim injunction stopping the strike, with a hearing fixed for October 13.
Dangote Refinery has denied wrongdoing, saying the restructuring that led to the job cuts was for efficiency and safety.
PENGASSAN has, however, warned that it will resume the strike without notice if the resolutions are not implemented.