The Federal Government has called on the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to reconsider its proposed strike scheduled to begin on Monday over its dispute with Dangote Refinery.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal on Sunday in a statement, stressing that the Ministry has taken steps to bring both parties to a roundtable in order to prevent the dispute from escalating further.

According to the statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour, Patience Onuobia, the minister disclosed that invitations had been extended to both the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend an emergency meeting in his office on Monday for the conciliation of their dispute.

“The Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations has extended invitations to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday.

“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of her economy. A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequentially, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security,” he said