NLC Accuses Dangote of Anti-Union Practices, Threatens Nationwide Action

By Chinedu Echianu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in a fierce battle against what it described as the “anti-union, anti-worker, and monopolistic capitalist strategy” of the Dangote Group.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, alleged that Aliko Dangote and his associates have consistently engaged in union-busting, exploitative labour practices, and monopolistic capture of strategic sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

“The attack on NUPENG is an attack on us all. Nigerian workers are not slaves and cannot be serially abused without consequences,” Ajaero warned.

According to the NLC, the Dangote Refinery pays some of the lowest wages in the oil and gas sector while denying workers their constitutional right to freedom of association. The statement also accused the conglomerate of forcing employees into “company unions” designed to weaken collective bargaining power, relying heavily on casual labour, and employing foreign nationals at the expense of qualified Nigerians.

The Congress further claimed that instead of reducing costs for Nigerians, the Dangote monopoly “exploits scarcity and control of distribution to raise prices, thereby deepening poverty and hardship.”

The NLC called on the Federal Government to immediately rein in Dangote and his associates, warning that failure to act would make regulatory authorities complicit in what it described as the “enslavement” of Nigerian workers.

The union also demanded an end to all anti-union practices by the Dangote Group, immediate unionization of Dangote Refinery and other subsidiaries, protection of workers’ rights under the Nigerian Constitution and international labour conventions.

The Congress placed all state councils and industrial unions on “Red Alert”, pledging to mobilize support for NUPENG’s planned industrial action, warning that it would not hesitate to mobilize workers nationwide if the Dangote Group fails to halt what it called “reckless anti-worker practices.”

“If this is allowed to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent where powerful capital can openly defy the laws of Nigeria, enslave workers, and destroy the very foundation of collective bargaining,” the statement added.

The labour centre insisted that its solidarity with NUPENG “is not negotiable,” vowing to confront Dangote’s “tyranny of monopoly capital” until victory is secured for Nigerian workers.