On Monday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, rescheduled a tripartite conciliation meeting intended to address the ongoing dispute between the Dangote Group and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Originally fixed for 3 p.m., the meeting was shifted to 10 a.m. However, by the new time, NUPENG officials and other stakeholders were still in Lagos, attempting to catch flights to Abuja.
A ministry source told Vanguard that the session could not begin until their arrival.
While it is unknown why the time for the meeting was changed, it was earlier reported that the meeting was aimed at stopping the nationwide industrial strike before it inflicted significant damage on the fragile economy.
NUPENG has accused Dangote and associates of pursuing “crude and dangerous anti-union practices, a monopolistic agenda, and indecent industrial relations strategies,” alleging the refinery pays some of the lowest wages in the sector and bars drivers for imported CNG trucks from joining industry unions.
The union says those recruitment conditions violate Section 40 of the Constitution, the Labour Act and International Labour Organisation conventions on freedom of association.