Alleged ‘Workplace Slavery’: WRPC Support Staff Threaten Protest, Shut Down of Operations

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The operations of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Ekpan, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, is being threatened as over 200 support staff have threatened to shut down the facility on May 5, in protest against alleged “workplace slavery”.

The angry workers issued the threat yesterday, when they downed tools and milled around the entrance of WRPC, signalling their seriousness to shut down the refinery on the said date.

The workers had been agitating for improved pay and better conditions of service since 2015. But they withdrew their services yesterday following another breached promise by the WRPC management,

The more than 200 support staff had over the years embarked on series of protests, demanding, among others, conversion to permanent staff, having worked for more than 10 years as casual workers.

The protesters, in a letter addressed to stakeholders of WRPC, said the interventions by the traditional rulers of Uvwie and Warri kingdoms, as well as the House of Representatives in 2019/2020 had changed nothing.

They stated, “Rather, support staff in their large numbers were dropped and paid-off prior to the Covid-19 saga. The remaining support staff that were not laid-off were made to continue to receive peanuts called ‘salary’.

The protest letter was signed by Lead Support Staff Representative, Ighomitedo Dafe; Eserada Emmanuel; Richard O. Okorodudu; and Mrs. Alero Agoreyo behalf of their colleagues.

The letter stated, “The support staff then felt since conversion to permanent staff seems difficult for management to handle, improved salary structure/condition of service should be reasonably done by WRPC management.

“The support staff then embarked on a protest on Thursday 28th April, 2022, for which the then GED R & P came on Thursday, 19th May, 2022 to address the aggrieved support staff.

“However, due to the upcoming transition of NNPC to limited, the GED R & P could not resolve the issue. Thus, the protest continued until the host communities’ leaders waded in and finally brought it to an end on Tuesday, 31st May, 2022.

“It was on the understanding that our prayers will be attended to if we allow Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN) come in for the Plant’s Quick-Fix.”

They explained that the workers’ hope that their salaries would be increased at the end of the Quick-Fix project was shattered, stating that third party workers engaged for the Quick-Fix project are paid higher than the support staff of WRPC.

The workers further said in the letter, “However, we did not relent in engaging the management periodically on our one and all-inclusive demand, which is ‘Improved Salary Structure/Condition of Service’.

“On responding to one of our letters to management dated 13th January, 2023, the then Managing Director of WRPC, Engr. Jimoh Olasunkanmi, reaffirmed that our demand –Improved Salary Structure/Condition of Service, will be treated as requirement for plant start-up.

“Suddenly, there was a shakeup in NNPCL, where Engr. Jimoh Olasunkanmi was made to go on compulsory retirement. Due to the harsh economic realities and the extension of the Quick-Fix project, the support staff of WRPC staged a two-day protest in November 2023 that resulted in the intervention of the then EVP Downstream, Adedapo A. Segun, to increase the salaries from (N60,000 – N110,000) to (N90,000 – N165,000) in December, 2023.

“When we realiSed that the increment cut across the three refineries (Kaduna, Port-Harcourt, and Warri), a letter of appreciation was sent to him (then EVP) on 3rd February, 2024, with a request for him to endorse the full Improved Salary Structure/Condition of Service sent to him by the local managements.

“As our frustration continues with no good news from management, we then held a mourning-protest that lasted from 13th May 2024 to 31st May, 2024.

“As committed workers whose desire is to see that the nation’s refineries under His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, bounce back to full streaming capacity, we then suspended the protest for five weeks to give room for management to meet our request. Disappointingly, management did not come out with any improved Salary package or condition of service!

“We then resolved to go on a full blown protest on the 19th August, 2024, which was later suspended on the 18th August, 2024, due to the mediation of the Contractors Representative (Chief Francis Ighoraye JP), SID Boss, OC DSS WRPC, and Artillery Commander; that our demands will be met immediately after the plant come on stream.

“Now the plant has come on stream since 28th December, 2024 and we are asked again to wait for another three months (March 2025) before the implementation of Improved Salary Structure and Condition of Service.

“The information to wait for another three months met the support staff of WRPC on Monday 13th January, 2025 with bitterness and a demoralising effect. It then triggered uproar and feelings of betrayal on the part of WRPC/NNPCL management.”

Stating that the WRPC support staff will “resist any scheme to trash our so many years of active service,” they stated, “We have suffered a lot working in a hazardous plant (oil and gas sector) with a monthly meagre stipend (N90,000.00 – N165,000.00). We want to earn a living!”

The latest protest stemmed from the continued failure of management to present an approved Condition of Service – remuneration package that contained housing, transport, hazard, meal, medical leave allowance, insurance coverage, pension, and the likes that is due to support staff and third-party staffs of NNPCL.