Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has thrown his weight behind the planned strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), urging the Federal Government to restrain Dangote Refinery from policies he described as “illegal and anti-worker.”
NUPENG announced that members would begin an indefinite strike on September 9 to protest alleged attempts by the Dangote Group to compel newly recruited drivers to sign undertakings barring them from joining trade unions in the oil and gas sector.
While the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) have distanced themselves from the strike, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) pledged to halt operations for three days in solidarity.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana said the refinery’s policy contravenes Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Trade Union Act, and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He also cited international treaties ratified by Nigeria, including ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining.
“The Federal Government has a constitutional and international obligation to protect workers’ rights to unionise. The Registrar of Trade Unions must call Dangote to order immediately, while the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission should stop its monopolistic practices,” Falana said.
He added that Dangote’s move to suppress unions was contrary to global standards: “Even under colonial rule, Nigerian workers fought and won the right to unionise. We therefore support NUPENG’s strike against any attempt to erode these hard-earned rights.”
