These events clearly amount to targeted intimidation and victimisation of workers for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of association.”
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed concern over the mass sack and alleged intimidation and victimisation of workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals following their membership in PENGASSAN.
This is contained in a letter to the zonal chairman of PENGASSAN Lagos Zone and jointly signed by members of the Caretaker Committee (CTC) of the newly unionised branch on Thursday in Abuja.
The signatories include Eseoghene Choice, CTC branch secretary, and Abdulfaitai Muhammed, CTC branch chairman, on behalf of the union.
The committee stated that the refinery’s management issued a termination notice to “all staff” of the refinery on Thursday night, a few hours after workers affirmed their membership in PENGASSAN during a verification meeting.
“We regret to inform you that at about 9:59 p.m., workers received a mass termination email,” it said.
The committee alleged that management withdrew staff buses, forcing members to spend as much as ₦4,000 on transportation, and denied them entry into the refinery premises while expatriates were allowed access.
It added that, at about 6:30 p.m., staff members who had joined PENGASSAN were denied entry into the refinery and were informed it was on the orders of Aliko Dangote.
The CTC also accused the management of targeting union leaders for arrest and intimidation.
“We intercepted an internal directive ordering the arrest and detention of the CTC chairman by the general manager of human asset management. This is a direct act of intimidation against union leaders,” it alleged.
The committee also described the action as a violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees workers the right to freedom of association.
“These events clearly amount to targeted intimidation and victimisation of workers for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of association,” it added.
Meanwhile, Femi Adekunle, chief general manager of human asset management at Dangote Group, said the reorganisation followed multiple cases of reported sabotage across refinery units that posed major safety risks.
He said management was left with no choice but to carry out a total reorganisation of the refinery, resulting in the disengagement of the affected staff, effective Thursday.
(NAN)