By Uche Onyeali
National Industrial Court in Abuja has restrained the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, from embarking on its planned nationwide strike against Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Ruling on an ex-parte application by Dangote Refinery before the court yesterday, Justice Emmanuel Danjuma specifically restrained PENGASSAN from cutting crude and gas supply to Dangote Refinery.
Besides PENGASSAN, other defendants in the suit include Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd, NNPCL, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.
Dangote Refinery was represented in court by George Ibrahim (SAN).
AljazirahNigeria had reported that PENGASSAN instructed its members to embark on a nationwide strike starting from yesterday (Monday) over alleged mass dismissal of 800 workers by Dangote Refinery.
The association, had in a circular signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, after an emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting on Saturday, September 27, accused the refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the constitution and International Labour Organisation’s conventions by dismissing workers for joining a union.
NEC alleged that the refinery had replaced the dismissed staff with “over 2,000 Indians,” an action which it described as an affront to all workers in Nigeria.
In that regard, the association directed its members in field locations to down tools from Sunday and ordered a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions and agencies from today.
“All PENGASSAN members working across field locations are to withdraw services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, September 28 and commence 24-hour prayers. This includes all control room operations, panel operations and outfield personnel.
“All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions and agencies should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, September 29.
“No intervention whatsoever will be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk; such clearance must be obtained from the National Secretariat.
“All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be let off effectively immediately.
“All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals,” the letter read.
It, however, appealed for government’s intervention, declaring that the strike would continue until the dismissed workers are reinstated.
