The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its two-day strike after reaching an agreement with the Dangote Group on Tuesday.
Confirming the development, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, said the Dangote refinery management, led by Sayyu Dantata, had agreed to allow its drivers to unionise.
“We have suspended the strike. The Dangote refinery has agreed to unionise its drivers. We signed an agreement,” Akporeha told our correspondent in a telephone interview.
The meeting, which produced the breakthrough, was convened by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Background to the Strike
The strike action began on Monday after petroleum tanker drivers made good on their threat to halt fuel loading over the unionisation dispute with the Dangote refinery.
Despite an appeal from the Federal Government to shelve the action, NUPENG members enforced full compliance, shutting filling stations in several parts of the country. The Aradel refinery in Obele, Port Harcourt, and the Kwale Hydrocarbon facility in Delta State were also closed.
NUPENG had earlier accused the Dangote refinery of planning to prevent drivers recruited for its 4,000 trucks from joining the union. On Friday, the union announced its decision to stop fuel loading nationwide in protest.
Although the Federal Government engaged the union over the weekend to avert the strike, Akporeha maintained that the industrial action would proceed.
By Monday morning, fuel lifting was completely paralysed across depots in Lagos, Warri, and other major hubs, as union officials moved around to enforce compliance. Drivers parked their trucks pending fresh directives.
With Tuesday’s agreement, NUPENG has now called off the strike, paving the way for the resumption of fuel distribution nationwide.
ADEOLA KUNLE
