Former General Secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Honourable Joseph Akinlaja, has explained how Dangote Refinery can prevent its workers from joining existing oil industry unions. He recently revealed that Dangote Refinery can only prevent such an occurrence by amending Nigeria’s labour laws as stipulated in the constitution.
Speaking during an interview with Vanguard, the veteran labour leader said that Dangote should work with established unions instead of attempting to isolate workers.
According to him, cooperation is the only way forward because the country’s constitution and the 1978 labour decrees clearly classify oil workers: junior staff under NUPENG and senior staff under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
He stated that any attempt by Dangote Refinery to divert its workers to other unions is simply illegal.
“Dangote must harmonise with the unions. They cannot fight NUPENG because the constitution and labour laws classify workers: junior staff in NUPENG, senior staff in PENGASSAN.
Freedom of association doesn’t mean oil workers can join a textile union. Just as I, from Ondo State, cannot join Ndigbo in Enugu. Freedom has limits. Unless the law is amended, Dangote cannot stop workers from joining NUPENG,” he said.
Emphasizing that Aliko cannot cope alone if NUPENG stops work across Nigeria, he urged the Dangote Refinery to sit down with the union to thrash out their issues.
Joseph Akinlaja concluded by saying that running a 650,000-barrel refinery is already a big challenge, so Dangote shouldn’t be adding to his problems.
“In industrial relations, there are two approaches: conflictual and consensual. Dangote should sit with NUPENG. Oil is Nigeria’s jugular vein; if NUPENG stops work nationwide, can Dangote alone cope? They risk creating a monopoly and even a security problem.
The government should keep mediating, but appeal more to Dangote. Running a 650,000-barrel refinery is already a huge challenge.
You cannot carry an elephant on your head and still use your leg to dig for crickets,” he added.
