The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has confirmed it will proceed with its planned nationwide strike today, despite urgent appeals from the federal government for restraint.
At the centre of the dispute is Dangote Refinery’s refusal to allow its newly recruited Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) truck drivers to join NUPENG. The union argues this amounts to anti-labour practices and warned that tanker drivers would stop lifting petroleum products from depots across the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, on Sunday urged NUPENG and its affiliates to suspend the action, citing dire economic consequences of a shutdown in Nigeria’s petroleum sector. He assured that dialogue had commenced to resolve the standoff.
But NUPENG’s leadership insists the action is unavoidable, accusing the refinery of “slavish conditions” and vowing not to surrender workers’ rights.
The strike threat has already triggered ripple effects. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) announced a three-day warning suspension of operations starting Tuesday, warning of monopolistic tendencies in the downstream sector.
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has distanced itself from the strike, while civil society groups such as the Economic Rights Activists (ERA) condemned the industrial action as “reckless” and potentially harmful to ordinary Nigerians.
With the unions divided and government scrambling for a truce, Nigeria braces for disruptions that could severely impact fuel supply, transport, and economic activity.
