The workers are demanding for a better welfare package for all direct staff, contract staff, sub-contract staff and service providers for all Shell Companies in Nigeria, SCiN following the prevailing economic realities in country, in line with international best practices.
The protesting workers, numbering over two hundred with placards and banners bearing different inscriptions, such as, “provide palliative for SCiN staff,” “redeploy logistics manager,” “remove unbearable debt burden on SCiN staff,” also demanded for the deployment of the Shell’s Logistics Manager to another department.
Leader of the protest and Chairman of Trade Union Congress in Rivers State, Comrade Ikechukwu Onyefuru, said since the federal government removed subsidy ion petrol, inflation has quadrupled in the country and negatively impacting on the purchasing power of workers, hence the need for palliatives.
Onyefuru who is also the Chairman of PENGASSAN, Shell Branch, explained that all efforts to make Shell dialogue with workers have been futile, warning that the workers will not relent in embarking on an indefinite strike, if the company refused to meet its demands.
He accused the international oil company of being racially biased, saying that the company had in recent past approved palliatives for its workers in other countries with similar economic situation, and wondered why same was not done for its workers in Nigeria.
He said, “As you are aware, the federal government removed fuel subsidy on May 29th 2023 and immediately, inflation tripled and the cost of goods and services rose by over 300percent and all these impacted the purchasing power of Nigerian workers, especially Shell staff and all service providers in Shell.
“Shell has a little over 2,500 direct staff in Nigeria, and over 16,000 contract staff and other category staff. Therefore we are looking at about 20,000 families that depends on Shell, with attendant 70,000 Nigerians who depend on these families.
“Our wage has lost value to the tune of over 60percent, as at last week cost of petrol has increased to N617 per litre and we heard its about to be increased to N720 per litre. All these have impacted on all Shell workers in Nigeria.
“We approached Shell since June 2023 for a palliative, but they refused and said they will only negotiate with us in 2024.
“Venezuela, Argentina and Turkey had similar issues but Shell approved palliative for those countries, so we are asking why is Shell refusing to approve palliative for us in Nigeria? Is it because we are blacks? This is a clear case of racism against Nigeria, and we say no to that.
“All efforts to resolve this issue with dialogue has proved abortive, we have written to them, issued ultimatum but they never listen. We then decided to commence a three-day warning strike, after now if they don’t come to table to grant our appeal, we will proceed with an indefinite strike.
“Shell companies in Nigeria must renegotiate our wage in line with ILO Convention 102, Nigeria is a signatory to International Labour Organisation. Shell is bound by law to grant palliative to not only direct staff but to all service providers, contractors and sub-contractors, etc.”
The protesting workers also demanded for the redeployment of Shell’s Logistics Manager.
“Also, we are demanding that Shell should deployed the Logistics Manager, because his actions and inaction are impacting on the conjugal lives of all Shell workers in Nigeria.
“The logistics manager has rendered induced impotency in the lives of our spouses and based on that, we are asking that shell should redeploy the logistics manager, so that he will not interface with people.”
SOURCE: sweetcrudereports.com
