By Oso Abidemi
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), has condemned the management of Dangote Refinery for allegedly denying workers their right to unionise, describing the company’s actions as “an attempt to entrench a slave-like workplace regime.”
In a statement jointly signed by Acting National Chairperson, Bamigboye Abiodun (Abbey Trotsky), and National Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, the SPN expressed solidarity with the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), in their struggle to unionise workers at the refinery.
The party also criticised the recent sack of 800 refinery workers, calling for their immediate reinstatement and the protection of their right to join any trade union of their choice.
According to the SPN, the partial reabsorption of the dismissed workers into other Dangote subsidiaries following PENGASSAN’s strike action was “an important but incomplete victory,” warning that redeploying them to unrelated roles could undermine their union rights.
The SPN faulted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), for what it described as a weak response to the crisis, saying a coordinated national strike could have forced Dangote to fully recognise workers’ rights.
The statement further urged both labour centres to “launch a serious nationwide campaign against casualisation, contract staffing, and other indecent labour practices,” stressing that unionisation is a fundamental and internationally recognised right for all workers.
The party accused the Dangote Group of benefiting from state subsidies and tax waivers while subjecting workers to poor conditions, insisting that the refinery’s operation has not improved fuel affordability for Nigerians.
