By Innocent Anaba

Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje Community Pipeline Facilities Surveillance Programme Workers, CPFSPW, has rejected proposal of marginal salary increase and longer working days, allegedly put forward at a meeting held in Lagos between the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited and leadership of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje Regional Development Committees, RDCs.

The aggrieved Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje CPFSPW, while dismissing Chevron’s position that they were employees of RDCs and had nothing to do with the company, told newsme in Sapele, Delta State,  that their employment predates the year 2006, when the GMoU Governance Model of Chevron was birthed.

Addressing newsmen shortly after their emergency meeting in Sapele, Chairman of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje CPFSPW, Raymond Aderojor, said that they would not accept the proposal of N9,126 and N10,600 per day, which amount to N191,646 and N222,600, respectively, for job schedule of 12hours daily and three weeks per month for their members.

Iinsisting that Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje CPFSPW, demand same salary with community workers in Chevron platform, purportedly receiving N18,550 and N21,650 per day, totaling N389, 550 and N454,650, respectively for 21 days, Aderojor stressed that they should be allowed to work within the existing two weeks job schedule.

He noted: “The community workers at the Chevron platform, are working for eight hours daily, from 8a.m., to 4p.m., compared to the 12hours, each of our members put in daily.

“We will commence fresh strike and shut-down Chevron operations in Dibi, Olero, Otunana, Makaraba, Abiteye, Opuekeba and Escravos fields in Delta State, if Chevron refuses to accede to our demands.”

Recall that the affected workers, had on May 14, 2024,  stormed Dibi, Olero, Abiteye, Utonana, Macaraba and Escravos facilities of Chevron, chanting solidarity songs with placards, showing their grievances.

They initially rejected a proposal of a 10 percent salary increase from their existing monthly pay, ranging between N115,000 and N130,000 per worker.