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Workers under the aegis of the Support Staff Union of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, have threatened to shut down operations at the refinery over seven months’ unpaid salaries.
The workers also alleged that management had failed to implement a newly approved salary structure, giving the authorities 48 hours to address their demands or face a shutdown of operations.
The protesting workers on Wednesday barricaded the entrance to the PHRC in Rivers State, displaying placards and erecting tents at the refinery gate.
The protest temporarily disrupted activities at the complex.
Some of the placards read: “No more empty promises, January 2027 is too far to implement new salary structure,” “Refinery Coordinator must go,” and “Approved by GCEO on 1st October, rejected by RC. Support Staff demands that RC must go.”
The workers alleged that Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, had approved a new salary structure and remuneration package for support staff.
They, however, claimed that the Refinery Coordinator had refused to implement the directive.
The workers described the protest as a peaceful demonstration against what they called injustice and marginalisation.
Their demands include immediate implementation of the approved salary structure, payment of seven months’ salary arrears, approval of a N1 million housing and rent relief package, and improved engagement between management and labour representatives on workers’ welfare.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, Bennett Isy, chairman of the PHRC Support Staff Union, questioned why a directive allegedly approved by the NNPC leadership had not been implemented.
“You cannot tell us that the GCEO of the NNPC approved something and the RC will say no. That is insubordination,” Isy said.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the dispute and direct the refinery coordinator to comply with the alleged approval.
“We know the forces that are backing the RC, and because of that, we are calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to call the RC to order,” he said.
Mr Isy also alleged that workers were being intimidated, but said the union would continue to pursue its demands.
“We are saying that we are not backing down. We are following all due process to ensure that what rightly belongs to us gets to us.
