An expatriate manager at Caverton Helicopters, has
reportedly resigned from the company over the
unfair treatment of his Nigerian colleagues during
the yuletide season, PM News reports.
Surendra Bhagwandass, a Base Maintenance
Manager at Caverton Helicopters, a company that
has contracts spanning from Shell to Total, said he
became frustrated that while he was being well
taken care of, Nigerian workers were poorly paid
and their salaries were sometimes delayed. He said
it was a security breach not to pay people who
work for oil companies.
“Shame on you guys,” he told Caverton
management in an email distributed to most staff
and obtained by a PM News correspondent.
“(I) heard from the people I work with that they
are not paid for the festive season. This is a
security breach as I now feel uncomfortable to
travel and work with, while you guys have a
merry time. Please have a heart as these people
have family while you all enjoy the best. Being
with your family and Happy.
“You all break record as the only Company in the
World not to pay your workers.
“Shame on you guys,” the expatriate said.
But Doyin Alegbe, a Personal Assistant to Caverton
Managing Director, Mr. Shola Falola, dismissed the
letter saying that it was “a gross case of
insubordination”
She said because expatriate workers are paid in
dollars and Nigerian staff are paid in Naira, the
company had challenges selling the dollars and this
caused some delay in December.
She said everyone has now been paid.
She said Caverton does not discriminate between
Nigerians and expatriate workers.
But some Nigerian workers who spoke with our
correspondent said while expatriate staff are paid
in dollars, Nigerian workers who put more effort
and spend more hours at work, earn less.
Among the allegations, the staff said there was no
salary structure and promotion was almost non
existent for Nigerian workers.
The staff said while local workers are not given
accommodation or security escorts, expatriates
enjoy all the benefits but come to work late and
leave before them.
“They earn dollars, we earn naira but we work
more than them. Several staff have been attacked
because you need to leave your house around 4
o’clock in the morning. There is no security for us.
But they enjoy everything in our country,” a staff
said, pleading anonymity.
The staff accused Caverton of promising oil
companies such as SHELL that it will take good
care of staff, but not doing so once the contract
is signed.
“We signed a contract with SHELL for N94
billion,” he said, adding that the money doesn’t
trickle down to Nigerian staff.
Source: PM News
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