From Francis Sadhere, Delta

Over 300 aggrieved support staff of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) staged a massive protest on Tuesday, vowing to completely shut down operations at the refinery on May 5, if their longstanding demands for better working conditions and fair compensation are not addressed.

The protest, which disrupted commercial activities at Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, was described by the protesters as the beginning of the “Mother of all rallies.

According to the demonstrators, many of whom have worked at the company for more than a decade, they have endured “workplace slavery” under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which owns WRPC.

In a joint statement signed by protest leaders Ighomitedo Dafe, Eserada Emmanuel, Richard Okorodudu, and Mrs. Alero Agoreyo, the support staff accused the company of emotional and psychological abuse, unfulfilled promises, and refusal to grant them permanent employment status or standard employment benefits.

“We have suffered a lot working in a hazardous plant with a meager monthly stipend of N90,000 to N165,000. We want to earn a living, not merely survive. We will no longer tolerate being used and discarded,” the statement read.

The workers claim their plight has been ignored for years despite several protests, interventions by traditional rulers of Uvwie and Warri kingdoms, and even the involvement of the House of Representatives as far back as 2019.

They recounted being paid off or dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic while those retained continued to earn what they described as “peanuts.”

Previous attempts to resolve the matter included a protest in April 2022 and subsequent engagement by the then Group Executive Director of Refineries and Petrochemicals (GED R&P), which was halted due to NNPCL’s transition to a limited liability company.

The situation remained unresolved, with workers accusing WRPC of empty promises tied to the plant’s Quick-Fix project managed by Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN).

A temporary salary increment in December 2023, following another protest, was welcomed but deemed insufficient. Workers sent a letter of appreciation but also reminded the management of their core demand: a fully improved salary structure and better working conditions.

After staging a “mourning protest” in May 2024 and suspending it in the hope of a favorable resolution, the workers say WRPC management failed to act. A subsequent protest planned for August 2024 was also suspended due to military and community intervention. The company had allegedly promised to implement changes once the refinery became operational.

Despite the plant restarting operations in December 2024, the staff said they were asked to wait an additional three months—until March 2025—for implementation of their demands, which has not materialized.

“Our patience has run out,” the workers said, reiterating their intention to stage a total shutdown on May 5 if their demands are ignored.

Efforts to reach WRPC or NNPCL management for comment as of press time were unsuccessful. 

Meanwhile, local residents and stakeholders are bracing for potential disruptions, especially as the refinery’s operations are critical to ongoing efforts to reduce fuel importation and revive Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity.