Warri based Lawyer Urges Labour Unions, Dangote to Seek Dialogue Over Strike

By Joseph Bienbo

Mr. Lucky Egboyi Esq, a Warri based lawyer on Monday said the labour and trade unions especially the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery should explore and adopt dialogue in resolving their dispute. The legal practitioner made the call in a chat with Our Correspondent in Warri as PENGASSAN began strike over the sack of 800 of its members by Dangote Refinery.

Egboyi emphasised that, that is the best option instead of the rush to strike at every given opportunity.

He noted, it’s the common masses whose lives revolve around the round fuel and crude oil product that suffers in disputes such as this in the Country.

“Parties should resort to dialogue as way forward.
On whether workers have rights to join union,Egboyi said,”By virtue of relevant laws, Section 6, Section 9 and 12 of Labour Act, Section 40 of the Constitution gives the workers liberty,freedom to join any association they deem fit and no employer whether individual or otherwise can restrict the right of workers to join any of such unions.

“So, Dangote does not have the right to limit or compel its workers to dissociate themselves with trade unions.”

According to Egboyi,”They should join if they have the right to accept the workers in question decide to put it in writing that he does not want to join such unions.”

Egboyi explained that,”No employer has the right to compel a worker to dissociate himself from union activities. It’s against the law. Both the Labour Act and Trade Union Act and the Constitution.”

On why the 800 PENGASSAN members were sacked, he said,”Dangote says he is sacking them to embark on operational efficiency to do a shake off. Well, if that is the reason,union cannot impose incompetent workers on an employer. The employer has the right to choose the best of workers that will promote his operational efficiency. So, Dangote if that is the reason but PENGASSAN is also alleging that Dangote has sacked these people only to replace them with Indian nationals. if that is true, that is quite wrong too. Dangote has no right to do that. It depends on the reason for the sack. But if the sack is associated with the right of workers to join unions, that is quite wrong like I have said before.”

Egboyi said as the dispute continues between the labour and trade unions and Dangote, the masses are the ones that bare the brunt just as he emphasized the need for dialogue amongst the parties in resolving the dispute in the interest of citizens and nation.

“My advice is to let the party resort to dialogue and this culture of resorting to strike, fight and antagonism at every opportunity given is not the best for us in this country. People should learn how to dialogue and negotiate. That’s my message to both parties.”

Egboyi also opined that the powers given to unions in the Country are too much. He said the Federal Government should look towards amending the relevant laws to settle down the power of the unions because right now the unions,especially the labour union and associate bodies,can even ground the country to a halt if they want to. “Their powers should be decentralized.” he added.