Investigations revealed that the salary suspension followed the refusal of many of the affected engineers to accept redeployment to other Dangote Group projects in Zamfara, Borno, Benue, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Ebonyi states, among others.
Some of the engineers—who requested anonymity—said they were instructed to report to coal mines, concrete construction sites, and rice mills spread across several states. While a handful of workers accepted the redeployment, the bulk rejected the offer, relying on assurances from PENGASSAN that dialogue with the Dangote Group would resolve the dispute.
Findings also showed that the refinery had earlier issued a warning signal in October by cutting the wages of the affected workers before stopping their November salaries entirely.
A senior official of the Dangote Group confirmed the development, stating that the company could not continue paying individuals who refused the alternative positions offered to them.
“If a company terminates an employee’s services and even provides new opportunities in other projects, but the employee declines, will the company continue paying salaries?” the official asked.
The workers, however, described the company’s action as “victimisation,” arguing that they were being punished for refusing postings to insecure or non-existent locations.
One of the contentious letters issued to the engineers, titled “Offer of Trainee Engagement,” invited them to resume work as Engineer Trainees for a coal project in Okpokwu, Benue State — with a two-year training period. The engineers faulted the letter, citing the absence of reporting addresses and concerns about security hazards in the deployment locations.
PENGASSAN’s Response
PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo disclosed last week that the union was still in discussions with the Dangote Refinery to resolve the lingering issues.
He said the preference of the union was dialogue rather than another nationwide industrial action.
“There are still many unresolved issues, but we believe the discussions can settle them. Our priority is negotiation, not confrontation,” Osifo said.
Background to the Dispute
In September, PENGASSAN shut down major oil and gas facilities nationwide after alleging that the Dangote Refinery sacked 800 workers for joining the union. The refinery denied the claim, insisting that only a few workers were dismissed for sabotaging operations.
The shutdown caused significant disruptions to national energy output until the Federal Government intervened and directed Dangote to redeploy the affected workers rather than terminate their appointments.
The situation remains tense as negotiations continue.
