The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has gone on the warpath over what it calls anti-labour practices by the Dangote Refinery that reportedly terminated the employment of over 800 Nigerian workers who recently joined the union.
The 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery reportedly sacked all its Nigerian workers 24 hours after they joined PENGASSAN
President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, who doubles as the President of the Nigeria’s Trade Union Congress, has vowed that the company would reverse the decision.
“I can assure you that they will recall all of them,” he told a medium.
PENGASSAN, in a formal statement signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, reported that the sacked workers had been replaced with over 2,000 foreign nationals, mostly Indians.
In an X, Wednesday, a political commentator, Imran Wakili, broke the news of the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery terminating the employment of Nigerian workers.
“Dangote Refinery has officially laid off all of its Nigerian workers under the guise of ‘reorganization,’ less than 24 hours after 90% of them joined PENGASSAN,” he wrote.
According to a memo dated September 25, 2025, and signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, Wakili posted on X, the company said the decision was taken as part of a “total re-organisation” of the plant following reported cases of sabotage in different units of the refinery.
The notice directed affected staff to surrender all company property in their possession to their line managers and obtain exit clearance.
The finance department was also instructed to compute benefits and entitlements for payment in line with terms of employment.
Dangote refinery, PENGASSAN and the sister workers’ group, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had been embroiled in a trade dispute over unionisation issue.
The petroleum workers’ organisation lamented that the mass dismissal not only jeopardized the livelihoods of Nigerians but also violated the Labour Act and the Trade Union Act, which guarantee fair treatment and workers’ rights.
“The dismissal of such a significant number of Nigerian workers without due consultation or any transparent justification contravenes the legal rights granted to all employees in Nigeria,” the statement read.
The association described the move as a “blatant disregard” for the rights of Nigerian workers, stressing that the refinery management must recall all affected employees or face legal and industrial action.
PENGASSAN also accused the Dangote Group of extending exploitative practices beyond the refinery sector into other industries where it has major investments, saying its “relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of local talent, ethical employment practices, and community welfare is unacceptable.”
The union said it has scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to decide its next line of action, while calling on Nigerians to support its resistance to what it described as “slave labour.”
“Failure to comply will leave us with no option but to commence exploring all sections of the Nigerian Constitution and relevant labour laws. We stand resolute in our commitment to uphold the rights of Nigerian workers,” PENGASSAN warned.
“We are deeply saddened to report the unjust termination of more than 800 Nigerian workers, whose dedication and service have been integral to the operations of this plant.
“Instead of valuing and retaining this workforce, management has chosen to replace these qualified Nigerians with foreign workers.”
NUPENG had declared a strike before it was suspended after the intervention of the Federal Government.
In a recent move, Dangote Refinery secured an interim injunction restraining the union and its affiliates from embarking on strike.
However, the interim order has since expired.
