Photo File: Nupeng

The Federal Government on Monday rescheduled a tripartite conciliation meeting with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Group, as tensions rise over looming industrial action.

The meeting, convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, was originally set for 3 p.m. but was moved up to 10 a.m. However, as of the new time, NUPENG leaders and other stakeholders were still in Lagos attempting to board flights to Abuja.

A ministry official told Vanguard that the session could not begin until their arrival. The reasons for the time change were not disclosed.

The emergency talks are aimed at halting the nationwide strike threatened by NUPENG, which has accused the Dangote Refinery of “crude and dangerous anti-union practices, a monopolistic agenda, and indecent industrial relations strategies.”

The union alleges that the refinery pays some of the lowest wages in the industry and restricts drivers of imported CNG trucks from joining trade unions—a move it says violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Labour Act, and International Labour Organisation conventions on freedom of association.

The government hopes the meeting will defuse tensions before the strike inflicts further strain on Nigeria’s fragile economy.