The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized Vice President Kashim Shettima for defending the Dangote Refinery in the ongoing dispute with the Petroleum and Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), describing his comments as a betrayal of Nigerian workers.
In a statement released on Tuesday to mark the World Day for Decent Work, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, accused the Vice President of siding with capitalist interests against the welfare of workers, warning that such actions threaten industrial peace and national stability.
“The serial violations of the ideals of decent work are a ticking time bomb,” Ajaero said. “We will not surrender the rights of Nigerian workers on the altar of profit. We will mobilize, we will organize, and we will fight back. We insist that there are no sacred cows!”
Ajaero said the NLC stands firmly with Nigerian workers and warned the ruling elite to stop what he described as a systematic assault on the poor and working class. He noted that the government’s silence in the ongoing crisis between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN signals tolerance for impunity in the private sector.
He reaffirmed the Congress’ commitment to defending the principles of the Decent Work Agenda as promoted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which rests on four key pillars: job creation, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue.
According to him, these pillars are being “systematically undermined” by both government and “greedy private employers” who have failed to uphold their obligations to workers.
“Decent work is the bedrock of sustainable national development. A nation that fails to guarantee fair incomes, safe workplaces, and the right to organize is a nation sabotaging its own productive capacity,” the NLC stated.
Ajaero also warned that suppressing workers’ rights and promoting unfair labour practices would only deepen poverty, weaken productivity, and fuel social unrest.
He described Shettima’s recent comments as a “national tragedy,” adding that such statements portray the Nigerian state as one that condones lawlessness.
“We doubt that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will share such an unfortunate view,” Ajaero added, urging the government to prioritize justice and fairness over political alliances and corporate interests.