THE AFRICAN Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has issued a strong condemnation of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the dismissal of over 800 workers for exercising their right to join a trade union.
In a statement released from its headquarters in Lome, Togo, signed by its General Secretary, Joel Akhator Odigie, the pan-African labour body, which represents 18 million workers across 52 countries, labelled the refinery’s actions as a “blatant violation of workers’ rights” and demanded the immediate reinstatement of all affected personnel.
The workers were sacked after they elected to join the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). ITUC-Africa stated that this move by the refinery management is not only an “affront to Nigeria’s Constitution” but also contradicts fundamental principles of responsible business conduct.
The statement highlighted the irony of the situation, noting that the Dangote Refinery is widely seen as a symbol of African industrial progress and energy sovereignty.
“We are convinced that the refinery’s workers, especially an organised workforce, will be critical to its operation and success,” the statement read. “It is, therefore, deeply ironic and unacceptable that the Dangote Refinery opposes workers organising to advance their shared interests, which include the success of the refinery.”
ITUC-Africa further asserted that the mass dismissal violates Nigeria’s international obligations under key International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, including: Convention 87 on Freedom of Association; Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining; and Convention 111 on Non-Discrimination.
The trade union body also expressed alarm over what it described as a “media war” against the workers. It accused the refinery management of mobilising both mainstream and social media to label the workers and their unions as “saboteurs and enemies of the people and Nigeria’s progress.”
Beyond the immediate dispute, ITUC-Africa warned that the refinery’s conduct poses a broader threat to Africa’s collective journey toward sustainable industrialisation.
It characterized the Dangote Group’s operational template across the continent as being marked by “monopoly-like behaviour and a reluctance to tolerate opposition,” including an “aversion and brutal opposition to workers’ joining trade unions.”
In a three-point demand to the Dangote Refinery, ITUC-Africa calls for the immediate reinstatement of all affected workers, a public apology and firm assurances against future victimisation of workers and an independent investigation into the matter, involving Nigeria’s Ministry of Labour and the ILO.
While sternly warning that “respecting workers’ rights is not optional – it is a hallmark of responsible business and a condition for genuine development”, ITUC-Africa vowed to rally its affiliates and allies across the continent to defend the workers should the Dangote Group fail to comply with its demands.
