By JOAN NWAGWU

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed concern over the alleged mass sack and intimidation of workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals after joining PENGASSAN.

This is contained in a letter to the Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN Lagos Zone, and jointly signed by members of the Caretaker Committee (CTC) of the newly unionised branch on Thursday in Abuja.

The signatories include Mr Eseoghene Choice, CTC branch secretary, and Mr Abdulfaitai Muhammed, CTC branch chairman, on behalf of the union.

The committee alleged that management on Thursday night issued a termination notice addressed to “all staff” of the refinery; a few hours after workers affirmed their membership of PENGASSAN during a verification meeting.

“We regret to inform you that at about 9:59 p.m., workers received a mass termination email,” it said.

The committee alleged that management withdrew staff buses, forcing members to spend as much as N4,000 on transportation, and denied them entry into the refinery premises while expatriates were allowed access.

It added that, at about 6:30 p.m., staff members who had joined PENGASSAN were denied entry into the refinery and were informed it was on the orders of Alhaji Aliko Dangote,” it stated.

The CTC also accused the management of targeting union leaders for arrest and intimidation.

“We intercepted an internal directive ordering the arrest and detention of the CTC chairman by the General Manager of Human Asset Management. This is a direct act of intimidation against union leaders,” it alleged, “it said.

The committee also described the action as a violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees workers the right to freedom of association.

“These events clearly amount to targeted intimidation and victimisation of workers for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of association,” it added.

Meanwhile, Mr Femi Adekunle, Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management at Dangote Group, said the reorganisation followed multiple cases of reported sabotage across refinery units that posed major safety risks.

He said management was left with no choice but to carry out a total reorganisation of the refinery, resulting in the disengagement of the affected staff, effective Thursday. (NAN)