The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has defied a court order by continuing its nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery.
Despite a restraining order from the National Industrial Court in Abuja, PENGASSAN has instructed its members to sustain the industrial action.
PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa in a memo, dismissed reports of a valid court injunction, stating that court orders were served via court bailiffs, not social media.
The union directed its members to continue the strike until further notice.
“Our attention has been drawn to rumours making rounds on a Court injunction restraining our noble exercise.
“I want to unequivocally state that we have not been served anything of such. Court orders or processes are served via court bailiff and not through social media,” the memo stated.
The conflict began when Dangote Refinery laid off some workers, citing sabotage and safety concerns.
PENGASSAN claimed that over 800 workers were dismissed for joining the union and threatened to take action that would force the refinery to its knees if the workers weren’t recalled.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court granted an interim injunction restraining PENGASSAN from proceeding with its planned industrial action.
The judge emphasised that allowing the strike to proceed could cripple essential services and cause irreparable damage to the refinery’s operations.
PENGASSAN members took to the streets, barricading the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) headquarters in Abuja and blocking entrances to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
The union alleged that Dangote Refinery breached Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions.
PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery of violating labour rights, while the company maintained that its restructuring was necessary to safeguard operations after internal sabotage.
Dangote Refinery stressed that thousands of Nigerians remained employed, and only a fraction were affected.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has expressed solidarity with the affected workers, demanding the reinstatement of the dismissed staff and a public apology.
TUC Secretary General Nuhu Toro warned that affiliates were on red alert for a broader strike.
