Dangote denies anti-unionization of workers amid lingering face-off with NUPENG

 

Paul Ogbuokiri

 

The management of Dangote Refinery has dismissed allegations that it is opposed to trade unionism within its operations, insisting it respects the rights of workers to freely choose whether to unionize or not.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the company stressed that it was committed to protecting the rights of all categories of workers — those who wish to join unions and those who prefer not to.

“Dangote Refinery is not against unionism, as it recognises the right of workers to unionise.

The Group also respects the rights of all workers to either join or not to join a union, in line with the principles of voluntarism,” the company said.

It added that it had an obligation to guarantee a safe and peaceful environment for employees, warning against threats to their “personal well-being and source of income.”

The clarification comes amid mounting tension between the refinery and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over alleged attempts to frustrate unionization in the company.

The leaders of NUPENG had accused the company of creating conditions that make it difficult for employees to freely associate.

Dangote Group, however, maintained that its position was about balancing the rights of different groups of workers without bias, while pledging continued engagement with stakeholders.

“The Dangote Refinery will continue to engage relevant stakeholders and wishes to assure the workers, government and indeed Nigerians that we will not relent in the promotion of the economic health and well-being of our workers and Nigerians in general,” the statement said.

The company further urged organised labour to respect voluntarism for the sake of industrial peace in the oil and gas sector.

NUPENG had accused the refinery of engaging in “grand deception” designed to weaken organised labour and entrench monopoly.

In a statement dated September 12, 2025, and signed by its National President, Comrade (Prince) Williams Akporeha, NUPENG described the refinery as an “epitome of unconscionable capitalist network built on falsehood to hoodwink the gullible with the goal of crushing our union as well as crushing competition, all with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel price on the long run.”

The union particularly criticised the refinery’s recent promise of free nationwide delivery of petroleum products to fuel stations, describing it as a “dangerous trap.”

“It is a Greek Gift to ensure that other employers of Petroleum Truck Drivers are unable to employ drivers so that only those employed by the company, who are forced to join the DTCDA (Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association), will remain in employment,” the union warned.

According to NUPENG, the refinery has systematically undermined its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch since 2023 by sponsoring a rival group—the DTCDA—staffed by individuals who lost union elections but were allegedly recruited by the company to destabilise the branch.

The statement also alleged that truck drivers were directed to remove NUPENG stickers from their vehicles and replace them with DTCDA insignia, in violation of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on September 9, 2025, recognising freedom of association.

NUPENG went further, linking individuals allegedly sponsored by the refinery to violent crimes, including an attempted assassination of its leaders. The union also accused Dangote Group of maintaining a broader anti-labour policy across its cement and sugar plants by systematically denying workers the right to unionise.

“Nigerians should not support a work arrangement in which drivers and other workers in the Dangote Group will be denied the right to enjoy freedom of association and unionisation,” the statement said.

It ended with a stern caution: “The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers is alerting the whole world that nothing untoward should happen to any of our leaders championing this struggle because we know how desperate and destructive capitalists with filthy wealth can be when cornered and exposed.”