The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike following a breakthrough in its dispute with the Dangote Group.
Naija News recalls that NUPENG had on Monday directed its members to halt fuel loading across the country, protesting the alleged refusal of the Dangote refinery to allow its drivers to join the union.
The strike was called off late Tuesday after both parties reached an agreement at a meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS). The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Labour and Finance, officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Dangote Group executives led by Seyu Dantata.
Confirming the resolution, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, told The PUNCH that the Dangote refinery management had agreed to unionise its drivers.
“We have suspended the strike. The Dangote refinery has agreed to unionise its drivers. We signed an agreement,” Akporeha said in a telephone conversation.
The union had earlier threatened to shut down operations nationwide over claims that Dangote’s management planned to prevent drivers recruited for its 4,000 trucks from joining NUPENG.
On Sunday, Akporeha disclosed that the Federal Government had reached out to the union in a bid to avert the strike, but insisted at the time that the action would proceed until concrete assurances were secured.
As of Monday morning, compliance with the strike directive was total, with fuel loading activities grounded across depots.
With Tuesday’s agreement, operations are expected to return to normal as NUPENG drivers resume lifting petroleum products.
