The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has taken a swipe at former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President and current senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, over his recent comments on the ongoing industrial face-off between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery.
Oshiomhole, during an interview on Arise TV last Friday, had faulted the strike action declared by PENGASSAN in protest against the alleged dismissal of over 800 workers at the refinery. He described the move as “hasty and unfair to other workers.”
According to him, “In seeking to protect a particular set of workers, you do not then risk the jobs of several others. When you are pursuing a dispute, the tools you deploy must be such that they do not undermine other people’s jobs.”
But in a strongly-worded statement signed by its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG condemned Oshiomhole’s comments, describing them as “a betrayal of the working-class struggle” and “a complete distortion of Nigerian labour law.”
“We watched with utter disappointment as a former labour leader now turns himself into a defender of corporate oppression, campaigning against the same workers he once claimed to represent,” the statement read.
NUPENG accused Oshiomhole of suffering from “historical revisionism and political amnesia,” saying his remarks show insensitivity to the plight of the sacked engineers.
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The union cited Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN 2004, which recognises trade disputes, including industrial actions taken in sympathy with another group of workers.
“PENGASSAN’s solidarity action with their members in Dangote Refinery is therefore a protected legal action,” the statement added. “The principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ remains the bedrock of trade unionism.”
NUPENG accused the senator of spreading “a dangerous toxin aimed at weakening the working class and empowering corporate elites,” likening him to “the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism.”
“It is shocking that a man who once sat on the Governing Council of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) could now display such ignorance about workers’ rights,” the union said.
In a rare move, NUPENG declared Senator Oshiomhole persona non grata within the Nigerian oil and gas industry, announcing that it would boycott any labour-related event where he is featured.
“Henceforth, we will not participate in or lend legitimacy to any event featuring Senator Oshiomhole,” the statement said. “The NLC, TUC, and civil society organisations should take note.”
The union reaffirmed its full support for PENGASSAN and vowed to continue the struggle for the reinstatement of the affected workers “using every legal and industrial tool available under Nigerian law and global labour standards.”
