The Nigeria Labour Congress has weighed in publicly in support of NUPENG. The unions have indicated numerous serious issues with the actions of the Dangote Group towards its oil and petroleum workers, highlighting a violation of union rights.
First, the unions indicate that they have evidence that Dangote pays below the industry average wage rate. The unions are saying working conditions are very unacceptable. They claim Dangote is developing a “company union” that discourages joining a union, ultimately rendering the collective powerless. They assert all of these violate Nigeria’s constitutional protections of workers, and the international laws, labour law and conventions savouring unionisation.
Second, the unions also assert that Dangote is hiring foreign workers rather than offering work for qualified Nigerians, and this violates the belief system of local labour as well as the expectations of patriotic/national duty. Associations of the unions indicate that hiring foreign workers while disregarding local workers and proper systems of industrial relations indicates that Dangote is creating divisions and barriers rather than opportunity.
They further have evidence that Dangote aims to monopolise markets: cement, sugar, flour and oil, to remove competition. They believe they are engaging in monopolistic practices for nothing more than desire for a monopoly that removes real industrial development, and development which then translates to the detriment of citizens.
Another issue is that they have concerns about a deal that Dangote is bringing to market that will be requiring all CNG truck drivers to agree not to belong to NUPENG, or any other union in the industry. The unions believe it violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Labour Act, and ILO applicable Conventions. So, the unions regard this a social threat to decent work, and potentially dangerous risk industrially.
The NLC have now insisted, all of Dangote’s businesses and subsidiaries must be unionised immediately. They have called on the Government to demand that Dangote and its collaborators comply with Union demands around appropriate labour relations. They warned that if no immediate reversal to the discriminatory policies occurs, Nigerian workers will enter an era when they treat themselves as slaves.
The union have demonstrated that if Dangote does not withdraw his anti-union strategy, they will have greater support for a broader range of resistance. The unions want to be clear, this is not solely a dispute based on trade, but a dispute based on dignity, and for the rights of ALL Nigerian workers.
For now, The Federal Government has intervened. They are seeking calm and dialogue. Today there will be a meeting with NUPENG, the NLC, Dangote executives, and the Labour Ministry. The meeting should have a scope of developing NUPENG proposal, and potential developments around the general strike.
Petroleum product owners have shifted position also, with PETROAN announcing it will commence a three days pull out from the market starting September 9, to remove monopolistic practices over the market.
As a result, tensions are currently high, and if this mediation fails, Nigeria may face a withdrawal of fuel and crude oil.
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