The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has sharply rebuked former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, for his recent comments regarding the dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Refinery.
Speaking last Friday on Arise TV, the former NLC President expressed disapproval of PENGASSAN’s industrial action in response to its disagreements with Dangote Refinery, which led to a nationwide shutdown of oil facilities. The lawmaker characterised the strike as rash and unfair to other workers. Oshiomhole acknowledged that unions can advocate for workers, but their actions must not lead to broader economic difficulties.
“I believe that in seeking to protect a particular group of workers, one should not jeopardise the jobs of numerous others. When engaging in a dispute, the strategies employed must not undermine the employment of others.”
In a statement signed by Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary of NUPENG, respectively, they expressed their disappointment in Senator Oshiomhole’s remarks, labelling them a betrayal of Labour principles and a distortion of established laws.
“We observe with utter disappointment a former labour leader who has now become a vocal advocate for corporate oppression, actively campaigning against the very rights he once defended.
His attempts to justify the victimisation of workers for exercising their fundamental rights of association and peaceful protest are not only repugnant but also represent a blatant misrepresentation of Nigerian Labour Law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions.”
In the statement titled “Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s Undistinguished Anti-Worker Vitriol,” NUPENG’s leadership accused Senator Oshiomhole of betraying the cause of Nigerian workers by ignoring the dismissal of over 800 employees while choosing to criticise PENGASSAN’s method of shutting down oil stations.
“Adams Oshiomhole’s criticism of PENGASSAN’s strike is an act of profound historical revisionism and political amnesia.”
“Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN 2004, legally recognised trade disputes, including industrial actions taken by workers in solidarity with another group. Therefore, PENGASSAN’s solidarity with its members at Dangote Refinery is legally protected.
The principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ is the global foundational ethic of trade unionism.
“For some undistinguished Senators to find this principle inconvenient only reveals a trading of once avowed class consciousness for a position among the oppressors. Senator Oshiomhole’s alarmist rhetoric about ‘harming the wider economy’ is the same tired argument used by every anti-labour entity he once fought against. It was a valid tactic when he led numerous strikes as NLC President; it remains valid today.
“Shockingly, this man has served multiple times on the Governing Council of the ILO and on the Committee on Application of Standards, which deals with reports on violations of workers’ rights worldwide. Unfortunately, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has demonstrated a monumental ignorance of trade unionism through his comments.
The unity displayed by PENGASSAN members and the solidarity they have received (and continue to receive) from other unions nationally and internationally are the twin pillars upon which the labour movement is built.”
While insisting that the former NLC President’s stance amounts to a betrayal of Nigerian workers, NUPENG declared that it would no longer participate in any Labour events featuring Senator Oshiomhole.
“In conclusion, the leadership of NUPENG hereby declares Senator Adams Oshiomhole persona non grata within the ranks of Nigerian Oil and Gas Workers for his undistinguished denunciation of the PENGASSAN strike against the unjustifiable dismissal of 800 engineers as punishment for exercising their fundamental right to unionise.
“The practical implication of our declaring Senator Oshiomhole persona non grata within the ranks of oil and gas workers in Nigeria is that henceforth, we will not participate in or lend legitimacy to any event featuring Senator Oshiomhole. The NLC, TUC, and conscientious civil society organisations should take note.
“Oshiomhole’s denunciation and insensitivity to the plight of 800 engineers, as well as his resistance to unionism in the petroleum and gas sector, is a dangerous toxin designed to weaken the resolve of the working class and strengthen the class enemy. NUPENG stands resolutely with PENGASSAN and the over 800 unjustly dismissed workers. To secure justice, we will continue to employ every legal and industrial instrument available to us, in full compliance with Nigerian law and global labour standards.
“The undistinguished stance of Adams Oshiomhole on the PENGASSAN strike qualifies him as the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian Trade Unionism. What a monumental betrayal of the working-class cause! We advise Senator Adams Oshiomhole to refrain from commenting on labour matters, as he has irretrievably lost the moral right and legitimacy before Nigerian workers, particularly those in the oil and gas sector,” the union said.
