NUPENG Threatens To Resume Strike, Accuses Dangote Refinery Of Breaching Agreement

Thursday September 11, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |

Barely 48 hours after the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) suspended its strike action, the union has alleged that the management of the Dangote Refinery had reneged on the resolutions reached, Channels NEWS reported.

In a statement jointly signed by its President and General Secretary, Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, respectively, NUPENG warned that it might resume the suspended industrial action following a breach of the agreement reached between Dangote Refinery, the Federal Government, and all truck drivers who are members of NUPENG-PTD.

“We are by this statement placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade 1 Support Our Dream Union Congress, all regional and global working people, and civil society organisations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat of the capitalist world,” NUPENG stated.

The union claimed that at a meeting convened by the Department of State Services and attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of its employees.

It further stated that, notwithstanding the resolution reached and signed at the office of the DSS with three on the right of unionisation of the workers, truck drivers who were NUPENG-PTD members for several years were ordered to remove the union’s stickers from their trucks yesterday.

The statement partly read, “We call on the Federal Government not to allow the Navy and other security agents who are paid by the resources of this country to be used with impunity against the laws and people of this country.

“Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod with impunity, even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which security agents facilitated, along with ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The union had suspended its strike on Tuesday following an agreement with the management of Dangote Refinery to recognise workers’ rights to unionise.

The deal was reached at a closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) and attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, confirmed the outcome, while the Ministry of Labour said it would issue a formal statement soon.

The resolution followed a conciliation meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday, September 8, 2025, after NUPENG threatened to embark on strike over the company’s initial refusal to recognise workers’ union rights.