By Charles Pemu 
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) has weighed in on the recent industrial conflict between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery, heavily criticizing the union for escalating the matter to a nationwide strike and calling for institutional support for the nascent refinery.
The former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) spoke in a monitored interview about the rights of association, the limits of industrial action, and the state of organized labour in Nigeria.
Oshiomhole, who spent decades in the labour movement, affirmed the constitutional right of workers to unionize. However, he questioned the union’s decision to shut down the entire oil sector over a dispute with a single private employer.
“What I am not sure is right is the ease with which PENGASSAN resorted to escalating the matter to a secondary level, what is called the secondary solidarity, to the point of shutting down the oil sector,” he said.
He argued that in seeking to protect one set of workers, unions should avoid actions that risk the jobs of others or negatively impact the wider public—such as those unable to get fuel due to the strike. He cited his time battling First Bank’s anti-family policy, where the NLC chose to target only the bank involved, rather than shutting down all banks.
The Senator, who comes from a private sector labour background, called for patience and support for the Dangote Refinery, noting that the company is yet to reach maturity.
“In the private sector, when a new company is coming in, we allow them deliberately… a certain number of years to consolidate and then begin to make money,” he explained.
Oshiomhole stressed that PENGASSAN should recognise that a private employer “has to exist, mature, and be strong enough to guarantee good paying jobs.” He also defended the investment against critics, asking if people would not prefer a “monopolist that creates jobs in Nigeria than importing monopoly.”
Oshiomhole used the interview to vent his frustration over pervasive poor labour practices, particularly in the banking sector and government.
- Contract Staff Crisis: He expressed shock that about 60% of bank employees are contract staff, illegally denying them gratuity and true union representation. He accused banks of setting up secondary employment agencies to enrich their own directors while underpaying contract workers.
- Protection Fees: He claimed some unions in the banking sector accept “protection fees” from management, effectively allowing the banks to operate without real union oversight or genuine collective bargaining.
- Government Inaction: He criticized the Ministry of Labour for often failing to enforce due process before strikes are invoked and for the lack of condemnation towards NNPC management for the decades-long failure of government-owned refineries.
Oshiomhole concluded by stating that while the right to unionize is inalienable, union actions must be measured to avoid killing employers, especially new investors like the Dangote Refinery.