The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has launched a scathing attack on labour unions, accusing them of being more concerned with securing membership dues than protecting employees’ welfare.
In a statement issued on Monday, the refinery criticized the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), arguing that both groups are pushing personal and financial agendas under the guise of workers’ rights.
The company particularly faulted the TUC for backing PENGASSAN’s call for industrial action without verifying claims against the refinery. It described the union’s stance as hasty and unbalanced, warning that such actions could disrupt national energy security.
Dangote Refinery alleged that the unions’ primary motivation is “check-off dues” — the mandatory contributions deducted from workers’ salaries. It cited a television interview in which PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo reportedly admitted that the union demanded dues from the refinery less than 24 hours after employees unionized.
“The rush for dues shows where their true interests lie,” the statement said, adding that neither PENGASSAN, TUC, nor allied groups like NUPENG have provided transparent accounts of how union funds are spent. Instead, the refinery accused them of financing “lavish lifestyles” at the expense of workers.
The management urged the Federal Government not to bow to what it described as “blackmail tactics” by union leaders, insisting that the refinery is a vital national asset that must be shielded from destabilization.
It further challenged PENGASSAN, TUC, and NUPENG to publish audited financial records for the past decade, arguing that Nigerian workers deserve accountability from those who claim to represent them.
“Workers and the Nigerian public should know how these dues are managed,” the statement added. “It’s time to expose the real motivations behind these threats of industrial action.”
The standoff comes amid growing tension between organized labour and the private sector, with observers warning that any shutdown of the Dangote Refinery could have major implications for fuel supply and the wider economy.
