The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has demanded an apology from the management of Dangote Petrochemical Refinery following the termination of over 800 Nigerian employees.
In response to the conflict between the refinery and the Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Monday, TUC Secretary General Nuhu Toro stated that the refinery infringed upon the constitutional rights of the dismissed workers.
“The dispute between Dangote and PENGASSAN is a concern for the TUC since PENGASSAN is one of our affiliates.
“It is unacceptable for someone to harm your child while you remain indifferent.
“During the last meeting held on September 8 at the Ministry of Labour, both PENGASSAN and the TUC were present.
“We demand that Dangote reverse the unjust dismissal of over 800 workers. Following that, we also seek a public apology from the management of Dangote Refinery, along with a guarantee that such actions will not be taken against the union in the future.
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“Many comments circulating have shown that Dangote has failed to address the core issue, which is the violation of workers’ rights to join any union of their choice.
“What Dangote has done is tarnish our reputation. Initially, he breached the agreement we both signed during previous negotiations, which stated that no worker would face victimization.
“Unionization is a fundamental right, and workers at Dangote have the right to join the union of their choice.
“In this case, the workers have expressed their desire to join PENGASSAN and have signed our membership forms.
“For Dangote to respond, he must not disguise his actions as sabotage, which is questionable in my view, because if you claim sabotage, you need to provide evidence of who is actually sabotaging,” Toro stated.
