Talks between the Federal Government, Dangote Refinery, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ended in deadlock on Monday night in Abuja.
Sponsored Ads
The meeting was called to address the ongoing dispute over the dismissal of hundreds of refinery workers, many of whom are union members.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
The negotiation began in the late afternoon at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and dragged past midnight without resolution. Both sides maintained their positions, leaving the issue unresolved as the government pushed for a compromise.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
Fresh talks have been scheduled to resume on Tuesday, September 30, at 2 p.m. Officials believe another round of discussions could help bridge the gap between the company and the union.
The dispute started after PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery of unlawfully terminating the contracts of more than 800 staff and replacing some of them with expatriates. The company denied wrongdoing, insisting its actions were in line with internal policies.
RELATED STORIES
Related Posts
The Federal Government intervened to prevent the industrial crisis from spreading and causing wider economic damage. With the refinery seen as central to Nigeria’s energy plans, authorities stressed the importance of keeping operations stable.
Key officials present at the meeting included the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammad Dingyadi, and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun. Leaders of PENGASSAN, top Dangote Refinery executives, and representatives of the Trade Union Congress also took part in the marathon session.
Despite long hours of dialogue, the two sides failed to agree on the reinstatement of the dismissed workers. The union insisted that the refinery must recall the affected staff before it can end its strike.
Government officials acknowledged progress on some fronts but admitted that the main issue of worker dismissals remained unresolved. The question of unionisation also came up as part of the discussions, with no firm position yet reached.
The Finance Minister stressed that a quick resolution was necessary to avoid disrupting economic momentum. He called on all parties to act swiftly in the national interest.
Union leaders, however, expressed frustration at the lack of concrete solutions after nearly nine hours of talks. They vowed to continue the strike until their demands were met, leaving the standoff to drag into another day.
Comments are closed.