Support staff at the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Eleme, Rivers State, have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, threatening a total shutdown of the facility unless outstanding salaries and a newly approved pay structure are addressed. The workers, organised under the PHRC Support Staff Union, barricaded the refinery entrance, erected tents and displayed placards demanding immediate action. Their core grievances centre on seven months of unpaid salaries and the non-implementation of a remuneration package they say was already cleared at the highest level of the NNPCL.
The Core Demands
The union’s position is specific and multi-layered. First, they want payment of seven months of salary arrears and other legitimate entitlements owed to affected support staff. Second, they insist on immediate implementation of a new salary and remuneration structure that, according to the workers, was approved by NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari with effect from 1 October 2026. Third, they are seeking a one-time ₦1 million housing or rent relief for eligible staff to ease accommodation pressures. Fourth, they call for improved consultation between the Refinery Coordinator, managing directors and recognised labour representatives on welfare matters.
Union Chairman Bennett Isy stated that the workers had followed due process and would not back down. Placards reflected frustration with delays and with what the staff described as resistance at the local management level. Some messages targeted the Refinery Coordinator directly, accusing him of blocking an approval already granted by the Group CEO.
Why the Dispute Escalated
Salary delays of this length create immediate hardship. Support staff, like other workers, face rising living costs, rent obligations and family responsibilities. When pay stops for months, household budgets collapse. The additional claim that a revised salary structure had been approved but not applied intensified the sense of unfairness. Workers argued that an instruction from the Group CEO should not be subject to further local veto or postponement until January 2027.
The protest disrupted access to the complex and signalled that the union was prepared to escalate from demonstration to industrial action. In a facility as strategically sensitive as a major refinery, even the threat of a full shutdown carries weight because of the potential impact on operations, maintenance schedules and national fuel supply considerations.
Context of the Port Harcourt Refinery
The Port Harcourt Refining Company has long been central to Nigeria’s domestic refining ambitions. Successive rehabilitation efforts and significant public investment have kept the site in the public eye. Support staff play essential roles in keeping the complex functioning, from maintenance and logistics to administrative and operational backing. When these workers feel their wages and approved benefits are being withheld, the dispute quickly becomes both a labour issue and a test of management credibility within the broader NNPCL structure.
The involvement of two named figures, the Group CEO who allegedly approved the new structure and the Refinery Coordinator accused of delaying it, has turned the disagreement into a question of hierarchical authority as well as payment. Workers framed the local resistance as insubordination to a higher directive.
What Happens Next
The 48-hour ultimatum places the immediate decision with NNPCL management. Options include rapid payment of arrears, formal confirmation and rollout of the new salary structure, negotiation of the housing relief claim, or further talks aimed at averting a shutdown. Failure to respond substantively raises the likelihood of the union carrying out its threat to block access and halt activity at the site.
Beyond the immediate crisis, the episode highlights recurring tensions in Nigeria’s public-sector energy enterprises: the gap between central approvals and local implementation, the vulnerability of lower-tier staff to cash-flow or bureaucratic delays, and the readiness of organised labour to use the threat of shutdown when conventional channels appear exhausted.
Broader Implications
A prolonged shutdown at Port Harcourt would affect not only the workers and the company but also the wider narrative around domestic refining capacity. Nigeria has invested heavily in rehabilitating its refineries precisely to reduce import dependence. Labour stability is one of the quieter but essential conditions for those investments to deliver results. When support staff cannot rely on regular pay, operational continuity becomes harder to guarantee.
The protest also underscores the importance of clear communication and consistent application of approved policies. When workers believe a Group CEO decision has been made and then sidelined, trust in internal processes erodes quickly. Restoring that trust usually requires both the release of owed funds and a transparent explanation of how future salary and welfare decisions will be executed without similar bottlenecks.
The support staff at the Port Harcourt Refining Company have made their position plain: seven months of unpaid salaries and an unimplemented pay structure are no longer acceptable. Their 48-hour ultimatum converts long-running grievances into an immediate test of NNPCL’s ability to resolve internal labour disputes before they disrupt operations at one of the country’s key refining assets.
What do you think is the most effective way for management and labour to resolve salary and implementation disputes of this kind before they reach shutdown threats? Share your view.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the workers demanding?
Payment of seven months’ outstanding salaries and entitlements, immediate implementation of a new salary structure they say was approved by the NNPCL Group CEO, ₦1 million housing or rent relief for eligible staff, and better consultation on welfare issues.
Who is involved?
Support staff under the PHRC Support Staff Union at the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Eleme, Rivers State. They have directed their ultimatum at NNPCL management, specifically citing the Group CEO’s approval and alleged resistance by the Refinery Coordinator.
How long have salaries been unpaid?
The workers state that seven months of salaries remain outstanding.
What is the ultimatum?
A 48-hour deadline after which the union has threatened a total shutdown of the refinery if demands are not met.
Has the new salary structure been officially confirmed by NNPCL?
The workers assert that Group CEO Bayo Ojulari approved it with effect from 1 October 2026. Public reporting so far reflects the union’s position; formal corporate confirmation would clarify the status.
Why does this matter beyond the workers?
The Port Harcourt refinery is a significant national asset. Labour disruption there affects maintenance, operational readiness and the broader effort to strengthen domestic refining capacity.
Reference links:
https://timesng.com.ng/2026/10/ph-refinery-workers-threaten-shutdown-over-seven-months-unpaid-salaries/
https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/industry/1734749-ph-refinery-workers-announce-plan-shutdown-facility-unpaid-salaries/
https://punchng.com/pharcourt-refinerys-support-staff-protest-unpaid-salaries-threaten-shutdown/
https://diasporadigitalmedia.com/ph-refinery-workers-threaten-shutdown-over-seven-months-unpaid-salaries/
https://thisage.com.ng/port-harcourt-refinery-workers-threaten-shutdown-over-seven-months-unpaid-salaries/
https://theportcitynews.com/2026/10/05/ph-refinery-staff-protest-salary-delay/
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