Dangote group to reabsorb sacked refinery workers after peace meeting

The Dangote Group has agreed to redeploy workers recently sacked by its subsidiary, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, following a series of reconciliation meetings brokered by the federal government.

The ministry of labour and employment announced the resolution in a statement on Wednesday.

It followed two days of talks involving Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Group; the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN); Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy; and Mohammed Dingyadi, minister of labour and employment.

According to the ministry, the disengaged workers will be absorbed into other subsidiaries of the Dangote Group without loss of pay.

“The Honourable Minister of Labour informed the meeting that unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and that this right should be respected,” the statement said.

“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the meeting agreed that the management of Dangote Group shall immediately start the process of taking the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.

“No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN,” it added.

PENGASSAN, on its part, agreed to begin the process of calling off its nationwide strike. “Both parties agreed to this understanding in good faith,” the ministry stated.

On September 26, PENGASSAN had directed members to withdraw services across the country to protest the dismissals.

In response, Dangote Refinery accused the union of weaponising hardship against Nigerians, insisting the strike was not in the interest of workers.

“The directive to withdraw services and cut off essential fuel supplies is not about protecting Nigerian workers, but about weaponising hardship against over 230 million Nigerians,” the refinery had said in a statement.

It warned that the industrial action could disrupt essential services including hospitals, schools, transport, and emergency response.