Barely 48 hours after the Department of State Services (DSS) brokered peace between the Dangote Group and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), a fresh dispute has erupted between the two sides, Daily Trust reports.
On Thursday, the leadership of the union ordered a halt to fuel loading activities at the refinery’s loading bay. The action followed a directive issued by the company on Wednesday, instructing its drivers to remove all NUPENG stickers pasted on their trucks.
The union leadership described the order as provocative and an affront to workers’ rights, insisting that its members would not resume operations until the matter was resolved.
A NUPENG official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:
“This is coming just after we reached a truce with the intervention of the DSS. For the company to ask our members to strip off union stickers is unacceptable. We have no choice but to stop work until the directive is reversed.”
The Dangote Group has yet to issue an official response at press time, but sources within the company say management considers the move part of efforts to maintain uniformity and corporate identity across its fleet.
The fresh standoff raises concerns over fuel supply disruptions, coming at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with high pump prices and persistent energy challenges.
