Support staff workers at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State have protested over seven months of unpaid salaries and the alleged delay in implementing a new salary structure approved by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari.
The workers barricaded the refinery’s entrance in Eleme on Monday, erected tents and displayed placards demanding action on their grievances. They gave NNPCL management 48 hours to implement the approved salary structure, warning that failure to do so could lead to a complete shutdown of the refinery.
The Support Staff Union alleged that although the NNPCL GCEO approved the new remuneration package with effect from October 1, 2026, the refinery coordinator had refused to implement it.
The workers listed four major demands: immediate implementation of the approved salary structure and remuneration package; approval of a ₦1 million housing or rent relief for eligible support staff; payment of seven months of outstanding salaries and other legitimate entitlements; and improved communication between refinery management and recognised labour representatives on workers’ welfare.
Speaking during the protest, PHRC Support Staff Union Chairman Bennett Isy said workers had been waiting for the new salary structure to take effect but had received no implementation.
He also raised concerns over the unpaid salaries and warned that the union would escalate the protest if its demands were not addressed within the 48-hour deadline.
The workers further appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and called for the removal of NNPCL Refinery Coordinator Bayo Adelere.
Some protesters described the situation as increasingly difficult, citing unpaid wages, accommodation challenges and inadequate medical support. They also alleged that workers had suffered serious health and safety consequences while working at the refinery.
Another union member, Joy Osueiya, rejected suggestions that implementation should be delayed until January 2027, insisting that workers expected the approved salary package to take effect from October.
Godspower Nwakanji also appealed for presidential intervention, saying workers were struggling with financial hardship and inadequate access to medical care.
The union maintained that it had followed due process in presenting its demands but warned that the refinery could be shut down if the issues remained unresolved after the 48-hour ultimatum.
