The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has demanded an open apology from the management of Dangote Petrochemical Refinery over the dismissal of more than 800 Nigerian workers, describing the action as a violation of their constitutional rights.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, TUC Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, said the refinery had failed to address the core issue in its dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) — the right of workers to unionise.
“The Dangote and PENGASSAN rift concerns the TUC because PENGASSAN is an affiliate of the TUC, and there is no way they can beat your child, and the father stays aloof,” he said.
Toro demanded the reversal of the sack and a formal apology from the company:
“We demand the reversal of the arbitrary dismissal of over 800 workers by Dangote. If that is done, the next thing we demand is a public apology from the Dangote Refinery management, with an assurance that such won’t be used against the union in the future.”
According to him, the refinery violated a previous agreement signed at the Ministry of Labour, which assured that no worker would be victimised during the dispute.
“Unionisation is a right, and workers in Dangote have the right to belong to a union of their choice. These workers have indicated they want to belong to PENGASSAN and signed our forms. Dangote instead hides under the guise of sabotage, which is debatable unless backed with evidence,” Toro added.
The TUC Secretary-General further accused the refinery of operating “double standards” in its treatment of Nigerian employees compared to Indian expatriates.
“Even more disturbing is the monopoly and double standard of Dangote, who enjoys massive state support, protection, and goodwill from government, yet denies Nigerians their fundamental rights while extending preferential treatment to expatriates. This is nothing but economic oppression in modern-day slavery,” he said.
He argued that unionisation would not undermine the refinery but instead protect the rights of its workforce:
“Dangote should allow the workers to belong to the union of their choice. He should respect the rights of the over 800 workers and reinstate them; the unions are also ready to shift grounds in the interest of Nigerians.”
Toro also recalled that organised labour had stood by Aliko Dangote in the past when he faced obstacles in building the refinery.
“It is instructive that unions once stood by Dangote when we felt he was being trampled upon. So, it will be unfair for anyone to think we want to sabotage the refinery,” he said.
Dismissing claims that the sacked workers were unpatriotic or sabotaging the economy, Toro maintained that unions would resist any form of exploitation:
“We appreciate that the Dangote Refinery has decided to invest in Nigeria, but what we will not take is slave labour. The law is very clear on terms of employment, and unionisation is part of workers’ fundamental rights.”
