The support staff of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Delta State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently address their plights at the company.
The workers made the appealed during a peaceful protest held on Tuesday at the company’s premises in Ekpan Community, Uvwie Local Government Area.
Clad in black attire and chanting solidarity songs, the workers cried to be freed from what they described as injustice and workplace slavery.
The protesting workers also called for the intervention of Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The workers displayed placards with inscriptions bearing their grievances concerning remuneration, health coverage, hazard, pension, leave, transport, lunch, and housing allowances.
The protesters lamented that since 2015, their several calls for salary increments and other allowances have been ignored by the authorities concerned..
In 2019, the workers embarked on a week-long protest, and followed it up with another protest in 2022, without fruitful outcomes.
“We are calling on our president who doesn’t want oppression to see that we are being treated as slaves here. He should come and intervene.
“We know he has a good heart toward the youth and we expect him to swing into action. This is the oil and gas industry and we know what is obtainable everywhere.
“We are support staff, not cursed people. There are support staff everywhere in the oil and gas sector, but they are treated fairly.
“So, we want Mr. President to move in swiftly, using his good office and his good heart as a father, so that we too can smile and progress together, even as the nation progresses.
“We are also calling on the GCEO and every stakeholder that wants this nation to move forward to also see to our plights,” he said.
The management of WRPC could not be reached for comments.
