NUPENG declares search for alternative jobs as Dangote’s anti-union stance intensifies
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has announced that it will commence looking for alternative employment options starting September 8, in response to Aliko Dangote’s refusal to allow newly hired compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers to join labor unions.
In a statement issued in Abuja, NUPENG’s president, Williams Akporeha, and general secretary, Afolabi Olawale, condemned the actions of Dangote and Sayyu Aliu Dantata, founder of MRS Group of Companies, labeling their behavior as “anti-union practices” that are unlawful and unconstitutional.
“NUPENG condemns in absolute terms the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional anti-union practices of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata,” the union said in the statement.
The organization highlighted its concerns about Dangote’s decision to replace existing Petroleum Tanker Drivers, prompting many of its members to seek new job opportunities. The statement also noted that the Dangote refinery plans to initiate the nationwide distribution of diesel and petrol after acquiring 4,000 new CNG-powered tankers.
During a previous meeting, Dantata reportedly made it clear to NUPENG leaders that any new drivers recruited would not be allowed to join existing unions, an approach that the union described as “brutally cold and crude.”
The statement emphasized that the attempts to recruit drivers under these conditions are a blatant violation of workers’ rights. “To us, amassing wealth on the basis of enslavement, depriving workers of a union and voice amounts to creating filthy wealth,” NUPENG asserted.
The union has called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to step in and enforce compliance with labor laws. Additionally, they have urged the federal government to hold Dangote and Dantata accountable for their continuous anti-union strategies.
“NUPENG is set and ready to mobilize its forces to fight within the framework of the law,” they declared, while also appealing for public understanding as they confront these labor issues.
Source: TheCable
