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•Don’t punish workers for refinery’s inactivity –Experts
Support staff of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have threatened to shut down the refinery within 48 hours if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) fails to pay their seven months’ salary arrears and implement an approved new salary structure.
The workers, under the aegis of the PHRC Support Staff Union, barricaded the entrance of the refinery in Eleme, Rivers State, on Monday, mounted tents and displayed placards demanding urgent intervention by the NNPCL management.
The protest has temporarily disrupted activities at the facility, which is currently undergoing maintenance as the Federal Government seeks to restore Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
The workers also protested the alleged failure of the refinery management to implement a new salary structure and remuneration package which they said had been approved by the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, with effect from October 1, 2026.
According to the union, management had instead proposed that implementation should be deferred until January 2027, a position the workers rejected.
The union listed four major demands, including immediate implementation of the approved salary structure, payment of seven months’ salary arrears and other outstanding entitlements, approval of a N1 million housing/rent relief package for eligible workers, and improved consultation between management and recognised labour representatives on staff welfare.
Chairman of the PHRC Support Staff Union, Bennett Isy, said the workers had exhausted their patience and would not accept further delays.
“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 directed the refinery management to implement the approved salary structure.
Isy warned that the workers would shut down the refinery if their demands were not addressed within 48 hours.
“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; but if it is not implemented in the next 48 hours, to God, we are going to shut down this refinery,” he said.
“Not one soul will gain access to these premises. That I assure you.”
Another protesting worker, Joy Osueiya, said the workers could no longer afford to wait until January 2027 for the new salary structure.
“January 2027 is too late,” Osueiya said, alleging that workers had endured serious hardship and safety challenges while working at the refinery.
She further alleged that some workers had suffered serious injuries, while others had lost their lives in the course of their duties.
Another worker, Godspower Nwakanji, appealed to the President to intervene, saying the prolonged non-payment of salaries had made life extremely difficult for the workers.
The dispute has drawn criticism from energy sector stakeholders, who described the alleged non-payment of workers as unfair and inconsistent with responsible management of a strategic national asset.
Reacting to the issue, energy policy analyst and Chief Executive Officer of AHA Consultancies, Henry Adigun, said the development raised questions about whether NNPCL had truly transformed into a commercially driven company.
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“If an employer keeps you on a job and doesn’t pay you, then that is a breach of contract. If any employer doesn’t want an employee anymore, then such employee should be properly disengaged and paid all what is due to him or her,” Adigun said.
He argued that the workers should not be blamed for the refinery’s inability to operate, stressing that their lack of productivity was not their fault.
“It is not their fault that they aren’t productive on the job. It is just like hiring a driver without a car, how is that the fault of the driver?” he asked.
Adigun said NNPCL was expected to operate with the discipline of a commercially driven company, particularly as it now has shareholders.
He argued that a company operating commercially should not allow inefficiencies, leakages and waste to continue unchecked.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Joseph Obele, also described the situation as unacceptable, saying Nigerian workers should not become victims of the country’s refinery crisis.
Obele expressed concern over the reported salary of about N156,000 earned by some support staff, describing the amount as inadequate in view of the current cost of living and the risks associated with working at a strategic facility such as the Port Harcourt refinery.
He also questioned why permanent staff would continue to receive their salaries while support workers, cleaners and security contractors were allegedly owed between seven and nine months’ wages.
“Are we saying that some workers should continue to receive their salaries for sitting in offices, eating cracker biscuits and drinking tea, while the people doing support, cleaning and security work are not paid for months?” Obele asked.
He stressed that the issue should not be seen as an attempt to pit one category of workers against another, but as a matter of fairness, accountability and responsible management.
“If there is money to pay one category of workers, there should be a clear and transparent explanation as to why another category can remain unpaid for several months,” he said.
Obele called for clarity on the new salary structure and its immediate implementation if it had been properly approved by the relevant authorities.
He also urged NNPCL management to engage the workers over their demands, including the proposed N1 million housing/rent relief package, within the company’s approved welfare policies and available resources.
Former Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria Council, Joseph Nwakwue, said the workers’ demands were legitimate if they were consistent with their Collective Bargaining Agreement and terms of employment.
“They remain employed by NNPCL and should not be punished for the inactive state of the refinery,” Nwakwue said.
He noted that the support staff perform important duties at the refinery, including helping to maintain safety and supporting personnel, as well as facilitating an efficient restart of the facility whenever operations resume.
The 48-hour ultimatum has increased pressure on NNPCL management to resolve the dispute and avert another disruption at one of Nigeria’s major refining facilities.
The Port Harcourt refinery has remained under rehabilitation as the Federal Government works to restore domestic refining capacity and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
