The Federal Government on Tuesday facilitated a truce between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari-Dingyadi, in a statement issued on Wednesday following the conclusion of a two-day conciliation meeting in Abuja.

The meeting, which held on Monday and Tuesday, had in attendance the National Security Adviser, the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and State for Petroleum (Gas), along with representatives from the DSS, NIA, NNPCL, NMDPRA, NUPRC, and labour leaders.

The conciliation was convened after PENGASSAN directed its members to halt gas supply and withdraw their services from the refinery.

The union had alleged that the company terminated the employment of more than 800 of its members, sparking the industrial action.

Dangote Refinery, however, explained that the staff disengagement was part of an ongoing restructuring exercise within the company.

According to the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, it was resolved that unionisation is a fundamental right of workers under Nigerian law and must be upheld by the company.