The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has warned of an impending fuel scarcity nationwide, following a directive to its members to stop loading petroleum products from Monday, September 8.

In a statement issued on Friday and jointly signed by NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the union accused the management of Dangote Refinery of engaging in anti-labour practices that threaten the livelihoods of its Petroleum and Tanker Drivers Branch members.

According to the union, the dispute stems from the position of Dangote Refinery Chairman, Aliko Dangote, who allegedly insisted that drivers recruited for its 10,000 newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks would not be allowed to join any trade union.

NUPENG described the stance as a violation of workers’ constitutional right to freedom of association and a breach of international labour laws to which Nigeria is a signatory.

The statement partly read:

 “We call on the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Authority to invoke its powers under Section 32(u) & (aa) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The Authority is empowered to promote competition, encourage private sector participation, and prevent abuse of dominant positions in the midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.

 “Nigeria ratified the International Labour Organisation’s Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise as far back as October 17, 1960. By virtue of Section 254C (2) of the Constitution, this Convention is binding. Any policy that seeks to deprive workers of the right of association is therefore unconstitutional.”

NUPENG urged the Federal Government and its relevant agencies to prevail on Dangote and his partners to comply with Nigerian labour laws.

The union warned that if the alleged anti-union stance persists, it would mobilize its members for a nationwide action within the ambit of the law.