PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, announced the decision on Wednesday in Abuja after marathon negotiations involving top government officials and representatives of the refinery. The talks, which stretched into the early hours, secured a truce that temporarily halted the strike which began on Sunday.
The industrial action, triggered by allegations of anti-union practices at the refinery, had already disrupted key segments of Nigeria’s oil and gas operations.
Speaking at a press conference, Osifo clarified that the suspension was not a cancellation of the strike.
“We are only suspending, not calling off this strike. If any part of this agreement is broken, we will immediately resume without warning,” he declared.
He stressed that the strike was rooted in workers’ rights to freedom of association and fair pay, adding that while the union respected government efforts, it remained doubtful about the sincerity of the Dangote Group.
“Yes, we suspect Dangote may not keep to his side of the bargain. We don’t fully believe he will live up to expectations,” Osifo said. “But because of respect for institutions, government, and the processes that went into this negotiation, we have chosen the moral high ground.”
Despite signing a communique under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, Osifo admitted that the union remained unsatisfied with certain aspects of the agreement. He warned that any breach would lead to the immediate resumption of the strike without notice.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, commissioned in 2023 with a projected capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has been dogged by recurring labour disputes. Its sister union, NUPENG, had earlier accused the company of similar anti-union practices.
PENGASSAN maintained that it will closely monitor compliance with the agreement and will not hesitate to act if its members’ rights are undermined.
