The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stopped the monthly salaries of engineers laid off during its dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

The workers say their salaries were cut after many of them refused redeployment to states such as Zamfara, Borno, Benue, and Sokoto.

Some engineers said they were posted to coal mines, rice mills, and road construction sites, locations they consider unsafe or unrelated to their training. While a few accepted the new placements, many rejected them, relying on PENGASSAN’s assurance that the matter would be resolved through negotiation.

The company reportedly reduced their pay in October before stopping it completely the following month.

A Dangote official confirmed the salary stoppage, saying the firm would not continue paying workers who declined alternative jobs, arguing that the company had offered new roles in other Dangote projects and that those who accepted had already resumed.

The affected engineers insist the move amounts to victimisation. They also say their redeployment letters lacked proper reporting addresses and posted them to areas they described as security risks.

PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said the union is still in talks with Dangote to resolve outstanding issues. He said negotiations are ongoing and that the union prefers dialogue to another industrial action.

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The disagreement began after PENGASSAN accused the refinery of firing hundreds of workers for joining the union. Dangote denied this, saying only a few staff involved in sabotage were removed.

As discussions continue, the engineers say they are now stuck between losing their jobs and accepting deployments they believe are unsafe and irregular. The final outcome depends on ongoing talks between the union and the Dangote Group.

Source: Punch