The Federal Government has appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shelve its planned strike billed to commence on Monday over its dispute with Dangote Refinery.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal in a statement, signed by the ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Mrs Patience Onuobia.
Dingyadi said the ministry had initiated steps to bring both parties to the negotiation table to prevent the dispute from escalating.
According to him, invitations have been extended to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend an emergency conciliation meeting in his office on Monday.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of our economy. A strike will not only lead to huge revenue losses for the nation but also cause more hardship for Nigerians.
“Consequently, it will have adverse impacts on economic stability and national security,” the minister said.
