The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has clarified that it never signed the communiqué ending its recent strike against Dangote Refinery.
Union president, Festus Osifo, said Thursday on Channels TV that the document presented was only a statement by the Labour Minister. “We did not sign because some parts were not acceptable to us,” he explained.
PENGASSAN had accused the refinery of illegally sacking 800 Nigerians while importing thousands of foreign workers. Dangote dismissed the claims, saying restructuring was needed for efficiency.
The strike, which disrupted fuel supplies, was suspended after government intervention, with assurances that sacked workers would be reassigned within the Dangote Group.
Osifo insisted the union’s fight was about workers’ rights, not money. He warned that industrial action would resume if agreements were not honoured.
Meanwhile, a court has issued an interim order stopping PENGASSAN from striking, citing potential economic damage. Despite this, the union vowed it would not back down if injustices persist.
