Support staff workers at the Port Harcourt Refining Company have threatened to shut down the facility if the management fails to implement a newly approved salary structure and pay seven months of outstanding salaries.
The workers, under the PHRC Support Staff Union, protested at the refinery in Eleme, Rivers State, on Monday.
They barricaded the entrance, displayed placards and erected tents at the gate, temporarily disrupting activities at the facility.
The workers gave the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited management a 48-hour ultimatum to implement the new salary structure or face a total shutdown of the refinery.
They alleged that NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, approved the new salary structure for implementation from October 1, 2026, but that the Refinery Coordinator, Bayo Adelere, had refused to implement it.
The protesters listed four major demands, including immediate implementation of the approved salary structure, payment of seven months’ outstanding salaries and other entitlements, approval of ₦1m housing or rent relief for eligible support staff, and improved engagement between management and labour representatives.
Some of the placards read, “No more empty promises, January 2027 is too far to implement new salary structure” and “Workers deserve dignity: Fair pay is our right.”
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the PHRC Support Staff Union, Bennett Isy, said the workers would not back down until their demands were addressed.
He said the salary structure was approved for implementation from October 1 but had not been implemented.
Isy also warned that the workers would completely shut down the refinery if the demands were not met within 48 hours.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and called on the refinery coordinator to implement the approved salary structure.
Other workers complained about the hardship caused by the unpaid salaries and the failure to approve the ₦1m rent relief.
A union member, Joy Osueiya, said the workers had been asked to wait until January 2027 but rejected the proposal, insisting that the approved salary structure should take effect immediately.
Another worker, Godspower Nwakanji, also appealed to the President to intervene, saying the workers were struggling with hunger, poverty and inadequate medical support.
