The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning to the management of the Dangote Refinery, threatening a mass industrial action in Lagos if 89 northern workers recently disengaged from the refinery are not reinstated or repatriated with dignity and full compensation.
According to the NLC, the affected workers—mostly skilled labourers from northern Nigeria—were reportedly laid off under questionable circumstances without due process, severance benefits, or adequate arrangements for their return to their home states.
In a statement released today, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, condemned what he described as "exploitative practices and ethnic insensitivity" in the treatment of the disengaged workers. He stated that the Congress would not hesitate to mobilize its affiliates for a full-scale protest and potential shutdown of strategic operations across Lagos if the matter is not addressed promptly.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress will not sit idly by while Nigerian workers are treated as disposable tools. We demand the immediate return of the 89 northern labourers, full payment of all entitlements, and a commitment to fair labour practices at Dangote Refinery,” Ajaero said.