Former President of the Nigerian Labour Congress and lawmaker representing Edo North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has blasted Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria’s (PENGASSAN) decision to shut down government-owned oil organizations over its dispute with Dangote Refinery. Recall that the association recently directed all its members to withdraw their services over the sack of at least 800 members of the union by Dangote refinery.
The directive led to the closure of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) offices in Abuja on Monday.
Reacting while speaking on Arise Television’s “The Morning Show,” Oshiomhole said that PENGASSAN had no business shutting down the oil sector in its bid to protect a group of workers.
According to him, safeguarding the rights of a particular set of workers should not lead to risking the jobs of many other workers; therefore, it was the wrong thing to do.
“What I’m not sure is right is the ease with which Ferguson resorted to escalating the manner to secondary level, what we call the secondary solidarity to a point of shutting down the oil sector. I think that, in seeking to protect a particular set of workers, you do not then risk the job of several other workers,” he said.
He further noted that only a dispute with the government over an issue that affects all Nigerians should lead to an association like PENGASSAN calling for a national strike.
Oshiomhole concluded by saying that before union leaders decide to shut down the economy, workers must be given a valid reason to back their call.
“I don’t have any proof, but my experience is that, before you shut the gate of NNPC, there has to be a fight. So when I saw NNPC gate effortlessly closed, all the other companies, government owned oil companies without any effort closed. I’m like if this were private employers, would they allow their companies to close without any resistance… I do not think so. So, why is everybody seemingly so helpless that we are at the mercy of anyone?
Before you take those measures, you are ready for a fight. And the workers for them to follow must see the linkage between their well-being and what is at stake,” he added.
