Nigerian workers and contract staff of Samsung Heavy Industries Mega Construction and Integration Free Zone Enterprise, Nigeria (SHI-MCI FZE) protesting over the ill-treatment and little or no welfare packages they get from their Korean employers, have been asked by the company to sign an agreement before they are ferried to the site at Total Egina FPSO project for resumption of work.

The workers who listed their demands during the protest, which lasted from Tuesday to better part of Friday were shocked that they were prevented from boarding the boat at the early hour of Monday, Feb 19, until an agreement is signed with the management, which includes the 1% annual increment on their salary, without risk allowance contrary to the initial agreement before they resume work.

Speaking with our reporter at the point of convergence, Kirikiri jetty at Apapa, Lagos, the workers pointed out and agreed to the risky and demanding nature of the job, but at the management over the exclusion of the risk allowance and other benefits which the management agreed to before they left the site after the protest.

The workers who refused to sign the new agreement placed before them are still at the Kirikiri jetty, while others are at Masha jetty in Keffi Awolowo.

One of the workers who refused to be named for security reasons said everything about the job is risky, including the everyday ride on a boat to the site, climbing module, the radiograph testing and hydro testing, and so deserve better pay and treatment form their employer.

"We have been stopped from boarding the boat until we sign the agreement, which is not in anyway favourable to us, the Nigerian workers, Nigerian authorities need to look into this," one of the workers said.

After embarking on almost 82 hours protest the employers reached an agreement with the workers that their demands will be met after 2 weeks and also agreeing that no worker will be sacked on the basis of the protest.

Hence, the workers agreed to return to work but were shocked by the recent development.

Attempt to reach the management of the company was to no avail, as none of the management members was ready to speak with the press at press time.

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