SHELL Activities Resume At Forcados Terminal

Abiodun Oba |

Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) Forcados Export Terminal in Delta state has resumed normal operations. This followed a cessation of hostilities after an early morning protest by contract staff who shutdown the facility.

The staff were unhappy about the company’s recent ‘Brown Field’ remuneration policy, which they alleged favoured a section of the staff to the detriment of others.

According to the protesters, Shell Authorities handpicked a few indigenes and mostly non-indigenes and increased their salaries from N100,000 – N316,000 and left most of the people behind.

“We have written many times to Shell to stop the disparity in payment method and to enhance workers welfare because as it is now, we are being treated like second class people in this facility,” one protester said.

As a result dozens of the aggrieved staff picketed the terminal, which is Nigeria’s largest for oil export, and prevented movement in and out of the facility.

However, it was gathered that normal activities resumed on Thursday night after a successful negotiation between the staff and management.

SPDC team was, according to sources, led by Mr. Ovwagbedia Arthur, the terminal manager, who had earlier that morning failed to convince the staff to return to work.

“He said the issue would be looked into, but that wasn’t good enough for us because we are used to such antics.”