By Attah Ede
The reconciliation meeting called by the Federal Government to mediate between the delegation of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery over the current industrial dispute has ended in a deadlock.
The reconciliation meeting which began at about 4 p.m. on Monday, had the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, as well as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, in attendance.
The meeting lasted for about nine hours into the early hours of Tuesday.
However, the Minister of labour, Dingyadi intimated that the meeting would reconvene to resolve the deadlock at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Members of PENGASSAN, led by the President, Festus Osifo, and some members of the Dangote refinery management, attended the meeting at the conference room of the Minister of Labour and Employment.
The union and the Dangote Refinery have been engaged in an industrial dispute over labour issues.
Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) on Monday blocked the premises of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in Abuja in compliance with the directives from its national executive committee for a nationwide industrial action.
The embattled union members had on Monday protested over the alleged illegal disengagement of over 800 Nigerian workers by the management of the Dangote refinery.
Our correspondent on the ground at the scene of the protest spotted the union members singing solidarity songs while gathering at the NNPCL office and those of the oil and gas regulators.
The union members blocked the gate into the premises, just as their colleagues at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) also blocked the entrance into their premises.
The situation was the same at the headquarters of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
PENGASSAN members are protesting the alleged illegal sacking of over 800 Nigerian workers by the management of the Dangote refinery for opting to join the union.
