Strike Countdown Continues As NUPENG Snubs FG Talks Over Dangote Disputes

Strike Countdown Continues As NUPENG Snubs FG Talks Over Dangote Disputes

The Federal Government’s move to halt a looming oil sector strike suffered a setback on Monday after leaders of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers’ Union (NUPENG) failed to attend a peace meeting in Abuja.

The meeting, convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, was aimed at resolving the union’s dispute with the Dangote Group over the company’s reported ban on union activities.

By 2:30 p.m., journalists at the Labour Ministry’s conference room confirmed that the meeting had not commenced, despite being scheduled for 10 a.m. Officials said NUPENG representatives were still in Lagos coordinating strike preparations.

On Sunday, the government appealed to the union to suspend the planned nationwide strike, assuring that steps were being taken to address the dispute.

It also urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its “red alert” to other unions for possible solidarity action.

The conflict stems from Dangote Group’s policy against unionisation, which NUPENG insists undermines workers’ rights.

The union maintains that no oil worker should be engaged at the Dangote refinery without union membership.

“This is not how to handle sensitive labour matters,” a labour source told reporters.

“Government knew about the planned strike for a long time but only called a meeting at the last minute. That’s why things are this messy.”

Another source hinted that even if NUPENG officials were to attend, it might not be immediately. “You can’t expect them to fly into Abuja today and rush into a meeting without first meeting with NLC leadership,” the source added.