…Rebukes Dangote anti-workers practices

 

 

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has expressed total solidarity with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in condemning the unjust and anti-labour practices recently carried out by the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

 

In a Press Statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the ASCSN National President, Comrade Shehu Mohammed, posited that the arbitrary dismissal of workers for exercising their constitutional right to freely associate and belong to a trade union is a gross violation of Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and a direct breach of Nigeria’s obligations under International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.

“Such acts are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated in a democracy. We, therefore, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with TUC and PENGASSAN in demanding the immediate reinstatement of all affected workers just as we support the call for an independent investigation into the refinery’s anti-worker practices,” the Union emphasized.

 

Comrade Mohammed commended the decision of TUC to place affiliates on stand-by for a possible national action should these demands not be met.

 

He warned that if this matter is not resolved within a reasonable time frame, the ASCSN may be compelled to join the national action in full force, in defence of workers’ rights and to ensure justice is done.

 

The ASCSN reiterated that an injury to one worker is an injury to all and that no employer, regardless of size or influence, would be allowed to trample upon the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers.