Dangote Petroleum Refinery has continued to operate despite a nationwide strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, which has disrupted logistics and heightened tensions in the oil sector.

The industrial action, which began on Sunday, has already attracted the attention of the Nigeria Labour Congress, PENGASSAN’s parent body, raising fears of broader solidarity protests that could worsen pressure on the refinery’s operations.

A mediation meeting convened on Monday to resolve the standoff ended in deadlock after more than nine hours of deliberations.

According to BusinessDay, the talks, chaired by Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi, brought together leaders of PENGASSAN, representatives of Dangote Refinery, the finance ministry, and top officials of both the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

PENGASSAN’s president, Festus Osifo, said negotiations failed because Dangote management refused to reinstate 800 workers whose dismissal sparked the dispute.

“Our position has been very clear; you have to reinstate these people. If you reinstate them tonight, we will call off our action tonight but unfortunately, that reinstatement did not happen. And we were not able to reach conclusions on the subject,” Osifo told journalists after the meeting.

The union had directed members to cut crude and gas supplies to the refinery in protest against the alleged victimization of unionized workers. PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions. The union insists that the sacked workers must be reinstated unconditionally.

The strike has paralyzed operations at key oil and gas agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Despite the strike, Dangote Refinery has assured Nigerians of uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an interim order stopping PENGASSAN from embarking on the planned nationwide strike. However, PENGASSAN has vowed to continue its action, dismissing the court order.

“Court orders or processes are served via court bailiff and not through social media,” PENGASSAN General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa stated.