The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has alleged that Nigerian workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals were dismissed shortly after joining the union, accusing management of intimidation and violation of constitutional rights.
In a statement signed by branch chairman Abdulfatai Muhammed and branch secretary Eseoghene Choice on Friday, PENGASSAN said these events unfolded within 24 hours of the staff unionizing.
PENGASSAN mentioned that following the formation of the Caretaker Committee of the Branch Executive Council and the submission of the first batch of unionized members’ list to management on September 25, 2025, management circulated a list to verify voluntary union membership.
“A meeting was held with members, during which they were asked to indicate their membership in PENGASSAN. Overwhelmingly, staff at the refinery affirmed YES,” the statement said.
PENGASSAN claimed that intimidation began when staff buses were withdrawn, forcing them to spend up to ₦4,000 for transportation to work.
According to the union, between 6:30 and 7:00 pm, Nigerian PENGASSAN employees were denied access to the refinery, while expatriate employees were permitted in.
At about 9:59 pm, workers received a mass termination email addressed to ‘all staff’ of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE,” the statement said.
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PENGASSAN also claimed that security operatives were ordered to arrest and detain its caretaker committee chairman, describing this as an attempt to intimidate labor leaders. It argued that these actions violated Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which guarantees the right to freely assemble and associate.
PENGASSAN described the dismissals as targeted intimidation disguised as a reorganization exercise.
However, Dangote Industries has denied any sack, insisting that a reorganization was underway in response to alleged sabotage in some refinery units.
A senior official of the refinery stated on Friday that both Nigerian and expatriate staff remain employed and that the reorganization affects certain individuals due to specific discoveries, stressing that it is unrelated to union activities.
The official said, “Yes, the letter is correct. But the interpretation is wrong. The interpretation is that it affects some people because of certain things discovered in the refinery. It has nothing to do with unionism or anything like that.
“It doesn’t mean they have been sacked. That is incorrect. What was done was to put a check in place. It is more like a cleanup in the system to check where those sabotage and leakages are coming from and then address them. As soon as the issues are addressed, they will be reabsorbed. That is why it is not a sack, and that word wasn’t used.”
He also mentioned that the exercise had to be carried out suddenly to prevent those involved in the alleged sabotage from concealing their actions.
“Some acts of sabotage have been noticed repeatedly, and the company is only trying to safeguard its assets. Also, you cannot do things like this and give two weeks’ notice; otherwise, those in the act would cover up and complicate issues,” he stated.
The official emphasized that refinery operations are still in progress and that both Nigerian and foreign employees continue to work at the facility.
This ongoing dispute reflects a long-standing friction between Dangote and the labor unions.
Earlier in September, PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers accused the refinery management of opposing union formation, despite a government-negotiated agreement that supports employees’ rights to join unions.
The unions asserted that management discouraged open endorsement of union support, while Dangote characterized these claims as attempts at extortion.
