DSS Invites Dangote, NUPENG to Emergency Meeting Over Union Dispute
The Department of State Services (DSS) has called an urgent meeting with the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) following allegations of a breach of agreement on workers’ right to unionise.
The session, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, will also include representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), alongside other key stakeholders.
On September 9, Dangote Group and NUPENG signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the DSS headquarters in Abuja, affirming that refinery workers are free to join unions of their choice without obstruction.
The pact was witnessed by officials of the NLC, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), government ministers, and other stakeholders.
However, within 24 hours of the signing, NUPENG accused the company of violating the agreement — an allegation the Dangote management rejected.
In a fresh statement released on Thursday, NUPENG leaders accused the refinery of misrepresenting facts and undermining workers’ rights.
The union, in the statement jointly signed by President Prince Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, alleged that Dangote was attempting to “crush NUPENG, stifle competition, and manipulate fuel prices in the long run.”
According to the union, Dangote had ordered the removal of NUPENG stickers from trucks and directed drivers to adopt the emblem of the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), a group it claimed was created by management.
NUPENG also alleged that some DTCDA leaders were individuals facing criminal charges, including violent attacks on union executives.
The union further accused the company of blocking not only tanker drivers but also refinery staff from joining unions, adding that similar restrictions exist in Dangote’s cement and sugar operations.
“Nigerians should not support any arrangement that denies workers their constitutional right to freedom of association,” NUPENG warned, insisting that the company’s offer of free fuel delivery nationwide was a ploy to edge out competitors and weaken its union.
As of the time of filing this report, Dangote Group had not responded to the latest accusations. Its earlier position maintained that union membership at the refinery is voluntary, in line with Nigerian laws and International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards.
