The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has placed all its members on red alert over the dispute between PENGASSAN and Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Its Kano State Chairman, Comrade Mubarak Buba Yarima revealed this in an exclusive interview with DAILYPOST.
Yarima, who is also a former member of PENGASSAN, said TUC, the umbrella body of trade organisations is prepared to join the strike if today’s Abuja meeting between the federal government, PENGASSAN, and Dangote Refinery fails to produce a resolution.
“We have already placed our members on red alert. Once we received a communique from PENGASSAN; we have made it clear we are standing by. You cannot trample on workers’ rights and expect us to keep quiet,” he stated.
The rift in the oil sector deepened after PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery of dismissing hundreds of staff for joining the association, alleging that some of them were replaced with expatriates. The union described the move as victimization and a violation of constitutional rights.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, has summoned both sides to an emergency meeting in Abuja today. Ministry spokesperson, Patience Onuobia, said the minister appealed to PENGASSAN to reconsider its strike, warning of dire economic and security consequences.
However, Yarima insisted Dangote must respect labour rights. “We are not denying that Dangote has invested heavily, creating jobs, and we supported his efforts. But that does not excuse dismissing workers for joining a union. Total, Shell, and others have been here for decades and they all have unions—so why is this different?”
He stressed that TUC’s demand is simple-fairness. “We are not asking for anything out of the ordinary or lobbying for money. We just want him to do the right thing and give those workers back their jobs,” he said.
