A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has thrown its support behind the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in its ongoing dispute with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), threatening legal action against the union for alleged “economic terrorism” and coercive tactics.
The groups, including the Civil Rights Defenders Advocates and Citizens for Economic Justice, vowed to pursue court action against any party infringing on workers’ rights. They called on authorities to investigate NUPENG’s alleged backers.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, coalition convener Dr. Agabi Emmanuel accused NUPENG of violating constitutional freedoms by pressuring refinery workers and truck drivers to join the union under threats of blockades and intimidation.
“This is not unionism; it is extortion dressed in the garb of workers’ rights,” Emmanuel declared, citing constitutional protections for the right to freely associate or abstain.
The coalition condemned NUPENG’s reported actions, such as obstructing non-union workers and affixing seals on trucks, as breaches of labor laws. They lauded Dangote Refinery for upholding voluntarism and contrasted it with NUPENG’s “strong-arm tactics,” which they argued sabotage national energy security.
The CSOs urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate allegations of high-profile intimidation and sponsors of the union’s actions, warning that any complicit parties must face prosecution for “economic terrorism.”
The statement concluded with a call for the Federal Government and international labor bodies to denounce the union’s actions, emphasizing that the “right to choose is non-negotiable.”
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