Railway Workers Decry Poor Working Condition

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Two days into its warning strike, the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers has urged the federal government to look into the plight of its members.

The union, which decried the poor working conditions of workers, insisted they may continue with the action if the welfare package of their members is not improved.

Chairperson of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers in Port Harcourtrs, Helen Moses, who spoke on the development yesterday, noted that the union embarked on a three-day warning strike due to poor condition of their service.

She said, “We have exhausted all channels that will bring solutions that will improve the poor condition of our service, and our expectations are overdue, we are poorly paid among other federal ministries, some of us our promotions are overdue.

“We are calling on government to improve our welfare to alleviate our suffering.”

Some of the railway passengers who came to board the train from Port Harcourt to Aba, expressed their challenges boarding faulty trains.

Nwaeze Nkwo, pleaded with the government to provide security on the rail lines, saying that they are sometimes attacked by robbers while travelling.

He also noted the pitiable plight of the railway workers.

To Mr. Chidebere Obiekwe, rail transport is very important and beneficial to business men and women in Port Harcourt.

According to him,”I have been boarding trains here for years and I can tell that this station is beneficial to us as passengers because those of us that join trains to Aba know that the rate of accidents on the road has reduced drastically.

“The extent of damage caused by rain to our goods has also reduced, the staff are also doing well in their service, so if their salaries are poor like they are protesting, I’m pleading with government to please improve their welfare.

“Our economy will grow more if government makes this rail station a modern station by changing all these old trains and giving us new ones like the ones we see in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and other places.”

“I call on government to invest more on train transport because it will create more employment, generate more income and benefit the masses,” Obiekwe said.