The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike following a breakthrough agreement with the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited on the unionisation of its workers.

NUPENG had on Monday declared an indefinite strike over the alleged refusal of the Dangote Group to allow its employees to join the union. The industrial action sparked fears of looming fuel scarcity across the country.

The truce was reached after a two-day high-level conciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment in Abuja, with the intervention of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Also present at the meeting were the Ministers of Labour and Finance, representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), as well as leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).

The Dangote management team was led by Mr. Sayyu Dantata, Group Managing Director.

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the end of the meeting, Dangote management acknowledged that unionisation is a fundamental right of employees and pledged not to interfere with workers’ decision to join unions.

“The management is not averse to unionisation. We will abide by the provisions of the law and ensure employees who wish to join unions are free to do so without interference,” Mr. Dantata said after signing the agreement.

It will be recalled that NUPENG had directed its members to withdraw their services on Monday, accusing the Dangote Group of anti-labour practices, particularly its alleged refusal to allow Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) truck drivers under its operations to unionise