Dangote Group: NLC Mobilises for Strike as PENGASSAN Defies Injunction Rumours

By Chinedu Echianu

Organised labour in Nigeria has declared a nationwide mobilisation against what it describes as the Dangote Group’s “anti-worker crusade,” with affiliate unions under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) placing members on full alert.

In an internal memo signed by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the unions accused the conglomerate of union-busting, intimidation, and serial violations of workers’ rights, warning that the time for “fruitless dialogue” was over.

The directive called on affiliate unions, including NUPENG, NUEE, MWUN, and others, to commence immediate unionisation of Dangote Group workers nationwide and set up Action Mobilisation Committees within 72 hours to coordinate logistics and strategy.

The unions demanded that the Dangote Group respect workers’ right to freedom of association, end victimisation and harassment, and comply with Nigeria’s labour laws and international conventions. “The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with the resistance of organised labour,” the memo declared, adding that the conglomerate has “operated for too long as a state within a state.”

Meanwhile, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, issued an official directive to members reaffirming the continuation of the ongoing industrial action. He dismissed reports of a court injunction restraining the strike, stating that no such order had been served through proper legal channels.

“All comrades are therefore directed to continue with the industrial action until further instruction. Only information from our official channels should be regarded as authentic,” Okugbawa stated.

With the unions intensifying mobilisation and PENGASSAN insisting on pursuing its strike, tension is set to rise as organised labour prepares for a decisive confrontation with Africa’s largest conglomerate.