Port Harcourt Refinery Workers Demand Salary Payments

Members of the Support Staff Union at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) protested on October 7, 2026, due to the delay in receiving seven months of unpaid salaries and the non-implementation of a new salary structure approved by Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The workers issued a 48-hour ultimatum to NNPCL management to implement the salary structure or face a complete shutdown of the refinery located in Eleme, Rivers State.

During the protest, they barricaded the refinery entrance, displaying placards with various messages, including demands for the immediate payment of their outstanding salaries, a housing relief package, and improved engagement with management regarding workers' welfare. Bennett Isy, Chairman of the PHRC Support Staff Union, emphasized that the new salary structure was supposed to take effect on October 1, 2026, and warned of a total shutdown if their demands were not addressed.