By Muhammad Mamman
The Federal Government has convened a reconciliation meeting between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery over unresolved labour disputes.
PENGASSAN’s president, Festus Osifo, led the union team, while officials of the refinery joined them at the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja. The session was chaired by Labour Minister Mohammed Dingyadi, with Minister of State Nkiruka Onyejeocha also present.
The dispute escalated on Monday when PENGASSAN members blocked the Abuja headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in compliance with a nationwide strike directive from the union’s national executive committee.
Union members also barricaded the offices of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), disrupting access to both premises.
