The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has accused the Dangote Petroleum Refinery of inducing division in its Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch, resisting workers’ rights to unionisation, and deploying what it described as “falsehoods” to undermine the union.
NUPENG also accused the company of using a “Greek gift” of free nationwide petroleum delivery to undermine the union and stifle competition.
In a statement signed by its National Executive President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, on Friday, the union dismissed a press release by the Dangote Group on Thursday as “an epitome of unconscionable capitalist falsehood aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians and crushing NUPENG.”
On Thursday, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery dismissed recent allegations made by the NUPENG that it banned tanker drivers from joining the union, insisting that claims of anti-labour practices, monopolistic behaviour, and planned fuel price hikes are “entirely unfounded”.
NUPENG, on Monday, shut down depots, protesting that the Dangote refinery did not allow the newly recruited drivers for its 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks to join the union.
The shutdown of depots lasted till Tuesday, when it was suspended following an agreement reached by both parties at a meeting organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
However, on Thursday, NUPENG said Dangote was not ready to abide by the terms of the agreement
But in a statement made available to our correspondent by the spokesman for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, the company stated that the allegations that it was undermining union activities and threatening workers’ welfare through its new deployment of CNG-powered trucks were not true.