NRC Clamours for Better Remuneration, Improved Work Environment

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) have appealed to the Federal Government to review their remuneration along with ongoing reforms in the corporation. The workers stated that the rehabilitation of workshops, rail tracks and purchase of locomotive engines and coaches without upward review of remuneration would continue to impede on their performance and output.

The Secretary General of the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, Segun Esho, who noticed that railway workers’ welfare was neglected, stressed that they remained poorly paid compared with their counterparts in the air and water sectors, a situation that might rubbish investments the NRC.

“For example, in the air industry, the pilot is the king; imagine how much he earns. In the water sector, sailors, whether a government employee or a merchant sailor, earn fantastic money. But in the railway sector, a driver, who operates a locomotive that was bought at over N500m is on level six or seven. He is driving the engine along with the coaches and other facility attached to it; but he is poorly paid. This is why we want the ongoing reforms in the rail transport industry to have a human face; it should have a perspective.”