The Federal Government has barred the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) from embarking on any form of industrial action against the Dangote Refinery, citing Free Trade Zone (FTZ) regulations that prohibit strikes within such zones.
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday through its Managing Director, Mr Olufemi Ogunyemi, who maintained that the refinery’s operations fall under the Free Trade Zone framework and are, therefore, protected by the provisions of the NEPZA Act.
According to Ogunyemi, Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act stipulates that no strike or lockout shall occur within any free zone for ten years from the commencement of operations. He emphasised that the law empowers the Authority to mediate and resolve any trade dispute arising within the zone.
“The provision is explicit — strikes and lockouts are not permitted for a period of ten years within a Free Trade Zone. However, employees retain the right to unionise and engage in collective bargaining,” he stated.
He described PENGASSAN’s recent shutdown of critical oil and gas facilities as unlawful under the NEPZA Act, warning that any such future disruption would be treated as a breach of federal regulations governing the zones.
Ogunyemi further clarified that the Dangote Refinery, being a designated Free Trade Zone entity, enjoys certain incentives such as tax waivers and customs duty exemptions to bolster the nation’s industrial growth.
“We are pleased that the recent conflict has been de-escalated. Dangote Refinery remains an important asset to Nigeria’s industrial ecosystem, and its activities are duly regulated under NEPZA’s supervision,” he added.
The development comes barely a week after PENGASSAN declared a nationwide strike over the alleged mass sacking of Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery. The industrial action, which disrupted operations in parts of the oil and gas sector, was suspended after the Federal Government brokered a truce leading to the reinstatement of the affected workers.
