PH REFINERY WORKERS THREATEN SHUTDOWN OVER SEVEN MONTHS’ UNPAID SALARIES

Support staff and service personnel issue a 48-hour ultimatum to management, citing severe economic hardship, unfulfilled welfare promises, and administrative delays

Support staff and allied personnel at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have issued a strict 48-hour ultimatum to management, threatening a total shutdown of the facility over seven months of accumulated unpaid salaries.

The aggrieved workers staged a robust demonstration within the plant premises, demanding the immediate implementation of a newly approved salary structure and the settlement of all outstanding financial arrears.

Protesters expressed deep frustration over administrative bottlenecks, noting that despite prior directives from higher corporate authorities, local management had failed to disburse the funds or execute structural adjustments.

Union representatives highlighted that the prolonged delays have plunged many families into severe financial distress, worsening living conditions amid broader national inflationary pressures.

In addition to salary backlogs, the workers decried hazardous operational environments and a lack of adequate medical provisions, pointing out that several colleagues have suffered severe workplace injuries without appropriate institutional support.  

Management officials have yet to issue a formal operational response to the latest ultimatum, even as labor leaders vow to bar all access to the refinery complex if their demands are not fully addressed within the stipulated timeframe.