NUPENG called on its members to down tools and shun loading of petroleum products from Monday, September 8,2025.
In a statement on Friday, jointly signed by Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary, NUPENG accused the management of Dangote Refinery of alleged anti-labour practices, inimical to the survival and means of livelihoods of its members under its Petroleum and Tanker Drivers Branch.
The Union specifically expressed strong reservations about the position of Chairman of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote that drivers recruited for operations of its 10,000 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, Trucks imported into the country would not be allowed to join any trade union.
The union described the position taken by the management of Dangote Refinery as an affront on the right of association, guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution and a breach of relevant international labour laws to which Nigeria is a signatory.
Independent tanker owners/ transporters will be smiling.
ReplyDeletePeople addicted to blaming government and suddenly loving Dangote will be having headache.
It's like the Starbucks situation. With every hint of a driver or group trying to to unionize, they close the branch/ sack the driver and ground the vehicle till another driver from a large pool of job seekers is secured. The company then chooses to work only with independent contractors like the Uber model or franchise their service like McDonald's where you own your own truck or have a leasing/ rent to own agreement so you as the driver bears the costs and risks.
I advise the union to use their membership funds to start a trucking company/ schools/ cooperative bankshospitals/ publishing company/ etc and set the standard and probe Marxist policies as correct. Let them know what running a business actually entails.
This move will only further weaken independent tanker owners and other transporters who don't have the economies of scale to meet the unions' demands. The unions are cementing Dangote's monopoly
The laborer is entitled to his/her wages and the owner/ bearer of risks their profits but both sides must sit and understand each other.
It's not a new thing. There is always fuel scarcity once we enter ember month. To me, it's all man made.
ReplyDeleteDangote, you better load independently using your "own" trucks and sell to Nigerians. If not, what's the essence of building and FG can't grant you things needed to run it independently.
ReplyDeleteThese guys should rethink o. Abi is it a plan thing, so that prices of garri, rice, grains, etc will shoot up again?