Petroleum Tanker Drivers have advised local and international Labour organizations, industry regulator, including Ministry of Labour and Employment not to be cajoled by the antics or sentiments of NUPENG who was currently painting a more dramatic picture in the fray by accusing Dangote Refinery’s representatives of deliberately frustrating the ongoing peace process initiated by the Nigerian Government.
This advice was contained in a jointly signed statement on Tuesday by stakeholders of PTD Branch of NUPENG, namely, Comrades (Alhaji) Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna Zone), Chief (Mrs.) Blessing Dafinone (Warri Zone), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) (Port Harcourt Zone) and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos Zone).
It would be recalled that the peace talks which started Monday evening, September 8 ended around 12 am in the early hours of Tuesday without any fruitful resolution. While NUPENG insisted that workers in Dangote Refinery must unionise, Dangote officials said union membership should be made optional.
NUPENG had last week directed its members to halt petroleum product distribution nationwide from September 8, over what it considered as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals’ “anti-labour practices”.
At the centre of the dispute was Dangote Refinery’s purported insistence that drivers recruited for its 10,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks will not be allowed to join any trade union.The statement reads in parts:
“Without prejudice Dangote refinery and its business partners have been so magnanimous by honouring the call of the peace mediators, comprising of Ministry of Labour and Employment, industry regulators and leaders of Organized Labour when it conceded to the plea that refinery workers can be unionised, but unfortunately NUPENG insisted workers in the Refinery facilities must be unionised by force and their membership must never be made optional.
“My candid advice to the local and international Labour organizations as well as the country’s Ministry of Labour and Employment is that they should never fall for the crocodile cry of NUPENG’s leadership as it is presently constituted. Organisations like IndustriALL Global Union, TUC, NLC, ITUC-Africa, NARRO, PENGASSAN, PETROAN, NOGASSA, CANMPSSAN, TGTSSAN, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) etc, should not fall for the antics, manipulations and sentiments of NUPENG.
There is no truth in the propaganda pushed by NUPENG that Dangote Group and MRS Holdings are engaged in anti-union practices, monopolistic agenda, or indecent industrial relations strategies.“These Labour organizations should ask NUPENG while it is currently frustrating, harassing, intimidating, sacking, arresting, suspending and suing to court both its paid staff and members over trumped-up charges.
As we speak NUPENG took the national executives of PTD led by Comrade Lucky Osesua to Court, they are also in Court with the National Treasurer of the Union, Alex Agwanwor who they criminally violated his fundamental rights, recorded his private conversation with his friends and families, prevented him to freely associate and communicate.
“NUPENG even maligned the image of the union when their leaders were slammed with contempt charges by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) and other courts of competent jurisdiction.
The national leaders of NUPENG are currently faced with more than 50 court cases, not with Government or any organization in the industry though, but with their own staff and members. NUPENG is also fighting Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) and the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products, (ADITOP), and these are also critical stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
Is that not ridiculous? That is the same union accusing Dangote of monopoly. These double standards should be condemned in its entirety.“We need to be fair as Nigerians by appreciating how Dangote group has outlined the major infrastructure moves in the country’s business climate, including the Petroleum industry downstream sector.
Infact Dangote should be celebrated for taking the risk of purchasing 10,000 environmentally-friendly CNG trucks to make distribution of petroleum products seamless, effective and efficient without hiccups.“Those trucks will undoubtedly reduce the cost of diesel.
They will reduce the fumes that come from burning diesel, will ensure faster delivery/journey times, less accidents, and guarantee supply reliability.“There is nothing like monopolisation in Dangote’s business, what we can see is better regulation and supply efficiency, The question Nigerians should ask is that have we had disruption since 2024? Dangote is practically taking off the entire Sub-Saharan African market.
He exported 1.3 billion litres of petrol in June and July. For the first time, he exported petrol to the United States of America.
The performance of the refinery speaks for itself, So the question is, has there been reliability of supply and assurance of supply?
Dangote is supplying the market and there’s reliability. Government should consider the option of proscribing NUPENG instead of listening to their gibberish.”