Dangote, PENGASSAN Meeting Holds Behind Closed Doors At NSA’s Office

Naija News reports that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, along with some members of PENGASSAN who had earlier arrived for the meeting, later relocated to the NSA’s office.

The Tuesday meeting, however, is being held behind closed doors.

It would be recalled that the management of Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had earlier failed to reach an agreement over their dispute caused by the alleged mass sack of union members.

Naija News reports that the meeting called by the federal government of Nigeria to broker peace ended in a deadlock on Monday night.

The meeting, which commenced at about 3:30 p.m. at the Minister of Labour and Employment’s Conference Hall in Abuja, broke up a few minutes after midnight without any agreement, with talks expected to reconvene at 2 p.m. on September 30.

The Federal Government had summoned both sides to the negotiating table following reports of widespread discontent.

The rift stems from allegations by PENGASSAN that Dangote Refinery had embarked on the mass transfer and sack of union members.

Also, the company allegedly replaced some Nigerians with foreign nationals, a claim the company has consistently denied.

At the meeting, PENGASSAN was led by its President, Festus Osifo, alongside the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Nuhu Toro.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammad Dingyadi, led the government delegation, while Dangote Refinery was represented by senior management officials.