PENGASSAN orders suspension of supply to Dangote Refinery over unlawful sack
Dangote Refinery
… escalation could advance to picketing.
A major industrial dispute between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has escalated, as the union has ordered a halt to crude oil and gas supplies to the facility.
In accordance to a letter dated 26 September, signed by the union’s General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN accused the refinery of unlawfully sacking its members for exercising their constitutional right to unionise.
The union instructed its branch chairpersons across seven key oil and gas companies – including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Shell Nigeria Gas, Seplat, Oando, and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) – to suspend all crude and gas deliveries to the refinery with immediate effect.
The dispute centres around allegations of anti-labour practices. PENGASSAN claims the refinery’s management dismissed unionised Nigerian workers, withdrew staff transport, and restricted local staff access, while continuing to accommodate expatriate workers.
In response, Dangote Refinery denied any mass lay-off, stating that only a limited number of staff were affected by a restructuring exercise intended to prevent sabotage. The company said over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the facility.
“The reorganisation was necessitated by repeated sabotage attempts in critical units, posing serious safety risks,” the company said in a statement issued on Friday.
Despite the refinery’s clarification, PENGASSAN described the move as “illegitimate” and accused Dangote of misinformation and refusing meaningful engagement.
“Rather than addressing the issues through dialogue, management has chosen a path of propaganda and victimisation,” the union stated.
PENGASSAN further threatened to picket the refinery if the matter is not resolved, reaffirming its stance with the union’s motto: “Injury to one, injury to all.”
The union also instructed the NGIC chairperson to ensure total compliance and ordered all affiliated branches to provide regular progress reports on the shutdown.
The dispute comes just days after the refinery announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from 28 September, citing exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations.
The standoff is likely to raise further concerns over domestic fuel availability, labour relations, and the future operations of Africa’s largest oil refinery.
