U.S. Government Shutdown Enters Third Week as Partisan Divide Worsens

The political standoff in the United States has deepened as the government shutdown entered its third week on Monday, with Republicans and Democrats still unable to reach a compromise on a new funding bill to reopen federal operations.

The prolonged closure has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, major public institutions such as the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed, and key services like air traffic control under increasing strain.

Despite mounting frustration from citizens and mounting economic concerns, both parties remain entrenched in their positions, showing no immediate signs of compromise.

At the heart of the stalemate is a fierce disagreement over health care spending.

Senate Democrats have refused to support a short-term funding bill unless Republicans agree to restore subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reverse President Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid.

Republicans, on the other hand, insist that the government must first reopen before any policy negotiations can take place, accusing Democrats of “holding the budget process hostage.”

The impasse underscores the deep mistrust that has defined relations between both parties — now nine months into Trump’s second term.

While recent opinion polls suggest that a majority of Americans blame Republicans for the crisis, neither side has yet to gain a clear political advantage from the standoff.

Standoffs escalated further on Friday after the Trump administration dismissed hundreds of government employees, a move widely condemned as politically motivated and unprecedented in modern U.S. governance.

The White House defended the layoffs as part of broader “efficiency measures,” but critics say it was an attempt to pressure Democrats and consolidate control over key agencies.

Several of the terminations were later reversed after widespread confusion within government departments, exposing what observers described as chaotic management inside the administration.

In a bid to control the public narrative, President Trump assured that military personnel would continue to receive pay, presenting himself as a leader defending national security in difficult times.

He accused Democrats of “holding the government hostage”, saying they were using civil servants as bargaining chips.

However, Democrats have countered that narrative, accusing Trump of politicising the civil service and inflicting avoidable hardship on working families.

“This president is trying to turn public service into a political tool,” Senator Mark Kelly said. “It’s an attack on civil servants and the very idea of an independent government.”

Within the Republican camp, signs of internal friction are beginning to show.

While House Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance have maintained that Democrats are to blame for prolonging the shutdown, some lawmakers — including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin Kiley — have criticised their leadership’s refusal to reconvene Congress to negotiate an end to the crisis.

Party insiders warn that the shutdown could deepen divisions within the GOP ahead of next year’s midterm elections, especially if the public continues to associate the crisis with Republican inflexibility.

Across the United States, the economic toll is beginning to bite.

Local businesses dependent on federal contracts are reporting losses, tourism has slowed, and public frustration is mounting, particularly in Washington, D.C., where government operations remain partially paralysed.

Unions representing furloughed workers have staged demonstrations in several cities, demanding that both sides return to the negotiating table.

Economists estimate that the shutdown could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars if it extends into a fourth week.

For now, the standoff shows no sign of easing. Both parties appear determined to hold their ground — each calculating that the other will bear the greater political cost of public anger.

Until one side finds more advantage in compromise than confrontation, the shutdown — and the hardship it inflicts — may continue indefinitely.

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Dangote vs PENGASSAN: When Labour Rights Collide with National Dreams

By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman

The simmering conflict between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery is not just another workplace quarrel. It is a test case for how Nigeria intends to balance labour rights with its desperate need for industrial transformation. The refinery, a 650,000 barrels-per-day behemoth hailed as Africa’s largest, is meant to save Nigeria from the chokehold of fuel importation. But now, just as its promise begins to unfold, it is caught in the turbulence of labour agitation.

At the core of the dispute is PENGASSAN’s demand for recognition and collective bargaining rights for its members within the refinery. Reports suggest that Dangote Industries Limited has been reluctant to fully embrace union representation, raising questions about compliance with Nigeria’s labour laws and international conventions that guarantee workers the freedom of association. For PENGASSAN, which has long stood as a formidable force in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, this is not simply about one employer. It is about setting a precedent in a sector that could define Nigeria’s industrial future.

Although globally, these issues are common in large refinery operations. India’s Paradip Refinery experienced a massive strike in 2021 involving over 10,000 workers demanding better conditions. Brazil’s Petrobras has repeatedly faced union pushback, including a 2015 strike that cut production by 20 percent. In South Africa, chemical and refinery workers have staged strikes that paralysed supply until wage agreements were reached. The lesson is clear: mega refineries and mega unions often collide, and resolution depends on structured dialogue rather than confrontation.

Nigeria’s own history mirrors this global trend. Chevron, Shell, and other multinationals have clashed with PENGASSAN and NUPENG over welfare, pensions, and layoffs. In many cases, government intervention has served as the dealbreaker, with the Ministry of Labour stepping in to mediate. The Dangote Refinery dispute, however, is unique because of its dual nature — a privately owned enterprise with public ownership through NNPCL’s 20 percent stake. This means that the Nigerian state cannot sit idle while the project wobbles under labour unrest.

The facts speak loudly. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, industrial disputes cost Nigeria over N1.3 trillion between 2016 and 2021, with oil and gas taking the lion’s share. Global data from the International Trade Union Confederation further show that countries with robust collective bargaining systems — like Sweden and Denmark — record fewer strike days and higher productivity. Nigeria, with its fragile economy, can ill-afford prolonged shutdowns at the refinery that has been billed as the silver bullet for its foreign exchange crisis.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions 87 and 98, both ratified by Nigeria, enshrine workers’ rights to organise and bargain collectively. If Dangote Industries ignores these obligations, it risks international criticism, reputational damage, and domestic instability. Yet, PENGASSAN also has a responsibility to frame its demands within the context of national economic realities. Striking a balance between workers’ rights and the refinery’s survival is the only path forward.

This is where lessons from global practice become crucial. In Germany, labour disputes in refineries are addressed through codetermination, where unions sit on company boards, ensuring dialogue before crisis. In Brazil and India, strikes often end with phased agreements that allow employers time to adjust while workers secure incremental gains. Nigeria must look in this direction, creating a structured negotiation platform that protects workers without crippling the refinery.

For Dangote, recognising PENGASSAN is not capitulation; it is an investment in industrial peace. For PENGASSAN, pressing its case should not come across as a political siege but as a constructive effort to align the refinery with global best practices. And for government, silence is not an option. With NNPCL as a shareholder, Abuja must assume its statutory role in preventing a strike that could cripple the very project marketed as Nigeria’s energy salvation.

The bigger picture cannot be ignored. The refinery was sold to Nigerians as a symbol of hope, a project that would slash fuel import bills, stabilise forex, and create jobs. But if its foundation is marred by labour unrest, it risks becoming another symbol of Nigeria’s chronic inability to balance growth with fairness. The refinery must not be allowed to mirror the failures of Ajaokuta Steel, where poor labour and policy management condemned a massive project to decades of waste.

The PENGASSAN–Dangote imbroglio is therefore not just about wages or recognition. It is about whether Nigeria can truly run world-class industrial projects without sacrificing the dignity of its workers. It is about whether labour rights and national dreams can co-exist. The choice before both sides is stark: confrontation that could stall progress, or dialogue that could set a benchmark for labour relations in Africa’s largest refinery.

History offers a blunt truth: great refineries around the world have all faced labour disputes. What distinguishes successful ones is not the absence of conflict but the maturity of resolution. Nigeria has a chance to show such maturity now. If PENGASSAN and Dangote sit across the table and forge an agreement, they will not only save a refinery but also script a new chapter in Nigeria’s industrial history. If they do not, the dream of energy independence could collapse under the weight of industrial disharmony.

In the end, the refinery must not only refine crude oil; it must also refine Nigeria’s labour practices. That is the true test of national transformation.