NUPENG slams Oshiomhole over comments on Dangote Refinery dispute
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Monday took issue with comments made by former Nigeria Labour Congress President and Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, regarding the current industrial conflict between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the management of Dangote Refinery.During an appearance on Arise TV on Friday, Oshiomhole criticized PENGASSAN's strike, which is protesting the reported dismissal of more than 800 refinery employees, labeling it as “hasty and unjust to other workers.”
“In trying to defend a specific group of workers, you shouldn’t jeopardize the jobs of many others. When resolving a dispute, the methods you use should not endanger other people’s employment,” Oshiomhole remarked.
In a statement jointly issued by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union referred to Oshiomhole’s comments as “a betrayal of the working-class struggle” and “a total misrepresentation of Nigerian labour law.”
In the statement titled “Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s Undistinguished Anti-Worker Vitriol,” NUPENG accused the senator of “historical revisionism and political amnesia.”
“It’s disheartening to see a former labour leader now acting as a vocal supporter of corporate oppression, actively opposing the very rights he once advocated for.
“His attempts to justify the victimization of workers for asserting their fundamental rights of association and peaceful protest are not only repugnant but also a blatant distortion of Nigerian Labour Law and ILO standards,” the statement partially stated.
The union also rebuked him for overlooking the alleged mass layoff of 800 engineers, while he concentrated his criticism on the strike.
“Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN 2004, recognizes trade disputes under the law, including industrial actions taken by workers in solidarity with another group.
“PENGASSAN’s supportive action for their members at Dangote Refinery is thus a legally protected measure. The principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ is a fundamental value of trade unionism worldwide,” NUPENG added.
The union labeled Oshiomhole’s view as “a harmful toxin intended to weaken the determination of the working class and favor the interests of the antagonistic class,” comparing him to “the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism.”
“Shockingly, this is an individual who has served multiple terms on the Governing Council of the ILO and on the Committee on Application of Standards that reviews reports on violations of workers’ rights globally.
“It is regrettable that Senator Adams Oshiomhole has, through his statements, shown a considerable lack of understanding of trade unionism,” the union pointed out.
Declaring him persona non grata within the oil and gas sector, NUPENG announced that it would cease attendance at any labour events involving the senator.
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