The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its two-day strike following a meeting with the Dangote Group on Tuesday.
NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent, stating that the Dangote refinery management, led by Sayyu Dantata, agreed to unionise its drivers.
According to him, the meeting was convened by the Department of State Services (DSS).
“We have suspended the strike. The Dangote refinery has agreed to unionise its drivers. We signed an agreement,” Akporeha said.
The strike had been triggered on Monday when petroleum tanker drivers, under NUPENG, halted fuel loading over the Dangote refinery’s alleged plan to bar drivers recruited for its 4,000 trucks from joining the union.
Despite appeals from the Federal Government to shelve the action, NUPENG members shut down filling stations in some parts of the country. The Aradel refinery in Obele, Port Harcourt, and the Kwale Hydrocarbon facility in Delta State were also closed.
NUPENG had declared on Friday that it would halt fuel loading in protest, insisting that workers’ rights to unionise must be respected. On Sunday, Akporeha confirmed that while the Federal Government had reached out to avert the action, the strike would still proceed.
By Monday morning, the directive was fully enforced, with depots across the country paralysed. NUPENG officials monitored compliance as drivers in Lagos, Warri, and other locations parked their trucks pending further instructions.
