Why NUPENG, Dangote Meeting Was Held At DSS Office

Why NUPENG, Dangote Meeting Was Held At DSS Office – FG
NUPENG suspended strike after Dangote agreed to unionisation.
Controversial trucking drivers’ union created by refinery was disbanded.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has explained why the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja was chosen as the venue for the crucial meeting between officials of the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

EDITOR’S PICKS

EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, Dingyadi said the DSS office was selected to provide a neutral environment and to enable the Minister of Finance to attend the talks.

The meeting, which brought an end to NUPENG’s nationwide strike, led to the suspension of the industrial action that had disrupted petroleum distribution across the country.

At the end of the negotiations, NUPENG president, Comrade Williams Akporeha, announced that the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), established by the Dangote Refinery management, had been disbanded. He confirmed that all contentious issues were resolved and that unionisation of workers at the refinery had been agreed upon.

“We signed an agreement and members have agreed to unionisation of workers in Dangote Petrochemical Refinery,” Akporeha said.

Responding to allegations that Dangote officials staged a walkout during Monday’s meeting, Akporeha clarified that the company denied such behaviour. According to him, the representative explained he had briefly stepped out to eat due to health concerns, insisting it was not an act of disrespect.

He added that disagreements on certain clauses delayed Monday’s talks but were eventually harmonised on Tuesday. “They tried to bring in some clauses we did not agree on, while they did not also agree with ours. But today we have harmonised everything and signed,” he stated.

Akporeha stressed that the creation of the DTCDA was illegal and that management had no right to impose a union on workers. He said the Ministry of Labour had already declared the association unlawful.

With the resolution reached, petroleum tankers have resumed loading products for nationwide distribution.

FURTHER READING