Petrol Station Workers Decry Low Wages
Petroleum Station Workers (PSWs) in Nigeria have made a passionate call for recognition and protection under the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to safeguard their rights and improve their livelihoods. At a press conference held in Kaduna on Thursday, Ibrahim Zango, the spokesperson for the PSWs, highlighted the dire conditions facing workers in the sector. Zango lamented the maltreatment, low wages, and lack of protection that workers endure, despite the crucial role they play in the Nigerian economy.
“We are dying voiceless,” Zango stated, emphasizing the harsh realities of their daily work, which includes operating in hazardous environments with minimal pay and inadequate healthcare. PSWs, according to Zango, earn between N10,000 and N20,000 per month, which pushes some workers into dishonest practices just to make ends meet in the current economic climate. He questioned, “Tell me, why won’t some of them cut corners to survive the current harsh economy?”
In light of these challenges, PSWs are calling for free, fair, and credible elections to establish leadership structures at the national, state, and local levels within NUPENG. They believe that formal recognition and organization under the union will ensure that their voices are heard and their rights protected. Zango vowed that they would continue their efforts to give a voice to all PSW members across Nigeria. “We cannot continue to remain silent while our members are dying after putting all their productive years to work,” he said.
The workers are appealing to NUPENG to urgently organize elections that will lead to the formation of leadership bodies for PSWs. Zango added that such an organization was long overdue, noting, “The best time to do that was 20 years ago, another best time is now.”
The demands of the PSWs come at a time when the petroleum sector is facing severe challenges, including fuel scarcity and price hikes, further exacerbating the difficult conditions for those working in the industry.
