In a statement, NUPENG alleged that Dangote management directed newly recruited drivers of its 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks to remove union stickers and affiliate instead with a company-backed association, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA).

According to the union, the move is part of a wider strategy to create a parallel structure within its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch.

NUPENG dismissed a press release by the Dangote Group defending its labour practices as “an unconscionable capitalist falsehood aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians and crushing NUPENG.”

The union said that despite signing an agreement facilitated by the Ministry of Labour, Dangote has continued to resist unionisation efforts.

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The union also criticised what it described as a “Greek gift”, the company’s free nationwide delivery of petroleum, alleging it was a ploy to stifle competition and coerce drivers into joining the DTCDA.

While the Dangote Group insists its employees are free to affiliate with any recognised union and denies any anti-labour practices, NUPENG claims the company has a long-standing record of suppressing union activities across its operations in Nigeria.

The union warned the public and the international community to remain alert to any moves that might deny workers their constitutional rights and vowed to continue its resistance, declaring, “Our solidarity remains constant, for the union makes us strong.”

Source: Punch