The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has alleged that Nigerian workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals were dismissed shortly after joining the union, accusing management of intimidation and violation of constitutional rights.
In a statement signed by branch chairman Abdulfatai Muhammed and branch secretary Eseoghene Choice, PENGASSAN said these events unfolded within 24 hours of the staff unionising.
The union noted that following the formation of the Caretaker Committee of the Branch Executive Council and the submission of the first batch of unionised members’ list to management on September 25, 2025, management circulated a list to verify voluntary union membership.
“A meeting was held with members, during which they were asked to indicate their membership in PENGASSAN. Overwhelmingly, staff at the refinery affirmed YES,” the statement said.
PENGASSAN further alleged that intimidation began on the evening of the same day when staff buses were withdrawn, forcing workers to pay up to ₦4,000 for transportation to attend work.
The union added that between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, Nigerian staff who had joined PENGASSAN were denied entry into the refinery premises, while expatriate staff were allowed access.
“At about 9:59 pm, workers received a mass termination email addressed to ‘all staff’ of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE,” the statement said.
The union also claimed that security operatives were ordered to arrest and detain its caretaker committee chairman, describing this as an attempt to intimidate labour leaders. It argued that these actions violated Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which guarantees the right to freely assemble and associate.
PENGASSAN characterised the dismissals as targeted intimidation disguised as a reorganisation exercise.
However, Dangote Industries has denied any mass sack, insisting that a reorganisation was underway in response to alleged sabotage in some refinery units.
A senior company official said on Friday that both Nigerian and expatriate staff remain employed and that the reorganisation affects certain individuals due to specific discoveries, stressing that it is unrelated to union activities.
The official said, “Yes, the letter is correct. But the interpretation is wrong. The interpretation is that it affects some people because of certain things discovered in the refinery. It has nothing to do with unionism or anything like that.
“It doesn’t mean they have been sacked. That is incorrect. What was done was to put a check in place. It is more like a clean-up in the system to check where those sabotage and leakages are coming from and then address them. As soon as the issues are addressed, they will be reabsorbed. That is why it is not a sack and that word wasn’t used.”
He noted that the exercise had to be carried out suddenly to prevent those involved in the alleged sabotage from concealing their actions.
“Some acts of sabotage have been noticed repeatedly and the company is only trying to safeguard its assets. Also, you cannot do things like this and give two weeks’ notice; otherwise, those in the act would cover up and complicate issues,” he said.
The official further stressed that refinery operations were ongoing and that both Nigerian and expatriate staff were still actively working at the plant.
This dispute continues a history of tension between Dangote and unions.
Earlier in September, PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers accused the refinery’s management of resisting unionisation, despite a government-brokered agreement affirming employees’ right to join unions.
The unions claimed management discouraged open support for the unions, while Dangote dismissed such allegations as blackmail.
The PUNCH
