Workers protest, shut OML 42 gate, decry constant salaries delay

Activities of the premises of OML 42 JV (NEPL & NECONDE), NPA Express Road, Warri, were on Wednesday morning, disrupted as workers shut gate and staged a peaceful protest, accusing the oil company of delay in the payment of their  salaries. 

Protesting workers whose grievances were written on their faces carried different placards with the inscriptions: "stop constant salaries delay, "clear salaries arrears", "review salaries", know that  workers are suffering  and smiling", "introduce IOC standards", "follow oil and gas standard", among others.

The protesting workers said, some of them (workers) have not been paid for the past two months, some four, while others, six  months, stressing that, they  could not survive with the present economy.

According to them, they expect the Management  to address them on the way forward or else, they  will down their tools at the site and disrupt production process.

In an interview with PEBNEWS, Hon. Faith Mamamu, Chairman OML 42 workforce said: "For a very long time now,  we've been on this system, we discussed with the Management over the issue but to no avail. Based on this, we decided to embark on this peaceful protest because the oil and gas OML 42 is not treating workers well. How would someone work for an oil and gas company with no salary?"

Mamamu stressed that the leaders of OML 42 workforce have agreed to shut down the  stations if Management refuses  to address them in no distance time.

Meanwhile, Comrade Uche Akuba, Secretary, OML 42 workforce, emphasized how steady the income in production is. He said: "We  produce, but when it's month end, we start asking for salaries as "debt". Now, we've come to say "No" to that.

"It's a shame that workers in oil and gas setting like this are suffering to this extent. We did  not just wake up and gather  for a  protest today. This issue has been  lingering, it's been on ground long before now. 

"In the past two years, Management invited us when we complained about back-log of salaries, we asked the Management  to clear the backlogs within six months. And it's over two years plus today, not even a dime has been cleared. With this harsh economy, how can we cope when some of us have not been paid two, to four months? We're really suffering and smiling. We've been patient with the Management but, none of the issues raised as regards salaries has been resolved.

"We're ready to effect positive challenges in the  system to see that our salaries are paid on time because, as it stands, even those that sell crayfish in the conventional market are better than us. We can't keep on working  and we are not paid salaries, this must come to an end," he concluded.

On the part of Comrade Ofoghan Peter, popularly known as Oracle, he said: "We wish to be in our different work places to see how we can give the Management our services, to continue to sustain and increase production, but we can't do that with an empty stomach, no body is happy.

"We use this medium to call on  Management to  address the work-force before it gets out of hand, we don't want a  situation whereby, we will down tools on site and disrupt production process. We are saying this because, the  earlier the Management  addresses the workers, the better for all of us," he concluded.