PENGASSAN, Dangote Reconciliation Meeting Ends In Deadlock

The meeting schedule4d by the Federal Government between the delegation of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN and the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery over the lingering industrial dispute ended in a deadlock.
Following the stalemate, it was gathered that the meeting would reconvene to resolve the deadlock at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the reconciliation meeting started at 4 p.m. on Monday, and it was attended by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, lasted for about nine hours into the early hours of Tuesday.
The next round of talks later today, it was gathered, is expected to determine whether a compromise can be reached to avert a full-blown industrial crisis in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It was also gathered at the meeting, Digyadi appealed to both parties to demonstrate good faith in dialogue, maintaining that industrial peace in the oil and gas sector was critical at a time Nigeria is banking on the Dangote Refinery to boost local refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
The dispute arise from allegations by PENGASSAN that Dangote Refinery had embarked on the mass transfer and sack of union members.
Also, it was alleged that the refinery replaced some Nigerians with foreign nationals, a claim the company has consistently denied.
With this latest development, PENGASSAN members will not return to work until alleged anti-labour practices are reversed, while Dangote Refinery maintains that its restructuring exercise is in line with global best practices.