Dangote Petroleum Refinery has insisted that union membership among its employees is voluntary and not compulsory, per the Nigerian Constitution and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
The company made this known in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to what it called “distortions of facts” by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) regarding its labour practices.
According to the refinery, it neither interferes with nor restricts employees’ right to freely join any legally recognised trade union. “It is therefore misplaced to attribute responsibility to Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the personal choices made by drivers regarding union affiliation,” the statement read.
Dangote dismissed allegations that it compelled drivers to sign contracts excluding them from unions, describing the claims as baseless. The company further urged NUPENG to resolve its internal issues with the Petrol Tanker Drivers unit rather than “embroiling the refinery in its conflicts.”
It added that the accusations of union suppression were part of a wider attempt to undermine private sector progress.
