Lagos (Nigeria): The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has expressed displeasure over the anti-worker practices displayed by Dangote Refinery.
The National President of ASCSN, Mr Shehu Mohammed, in a statement on Monday, said that the arbitrary dismissal of workers for exercising their constitutional right to associate and belong to a trade union freely was a gross violation.
Mohammed said that the arbitrary dismissal of workers was a gross violation of Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and a direct breach of Nigeria’s obligations under International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
He 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 carried out by the management of Dangote Refinery.
“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.
“We support the call for an independent investigation into the refinery’s anti-worker practices,” the national president said.
He commended the decision of the TUC to place affiliates on stand-by for a possible national action should the demands not be met.
Mohammed warned that if the matter was not resolved within a reasonable timeframe, the ASCSN might be compelled to join the national action in full force, in defence of workers’ rights and to ensure justice was served.
“An injury to one worker is an injury to all. No employer, regardless of size or influence, will be allowed to trample upon the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers,” he said.
