Some of the workers who spoke to SaharaReporters lamented that they had remained on N100,000 salary for the past 15 years while they were not given hazard allowance, medical allowance or leave allowance despite working in toxic environments.
Workers at the Nigerian refineries have threatened to shut down work at the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries over their poor salaries and lack of hazard and other allowances for the past 15 years of their services.
Some of the workers who spoke to SaharaReporters lamented that they had remained on N100,000 salary for the past 15 years while they were not given hazard allowance, medical allowance or leave allowance despite working in toxic environments.
They said that while support staff working in the medical line complained bitterly and their salary was increased reasonably, other support staff in other lines were currently being paid N80,000, and also owed some months.
The aggrieved workers drawn from Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical, lamented that “the cost of living is high, including the current inflation in the country.
“We the Casual Workers are the ones doing 95% of the jobs currently because a lot of staff have been retired, yet, we have worked with a salary of N100,000. They are paying us presently N80,000 despite owing some months. It has been a slave-master treatment.
“We are demanding a salary increase to N250,000. Also, we are demanding hazard allowance, leave allowance, access to medical care. Our salary should be harmonised, regularised and upgraded.”
They warned that if their demand was not met by the appropriate authorities, “We will not do any work. We will suspend work.”