TOR increases staff salaries by 30% after a decade without pay rise – MD

The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has increased staff salaries by 30 per cent in 2026, ending a decade without salary increments, Managing Director Edmond Kombat has disclosed.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, Mr Kombat said the decision formed part of management’s efforts to improve staff welfare, restore morale and rebuild confidence as the refinery recovers from years of operational and financial difficulties.

He said the salary adjustment followed negotiations with the refinery’s unions, as management sought to address workers’ concerns while restoring the company’s financial and operational stability.

“This year, we also increased staff salaries by 30 per cent, the fact that for the last 10 years, they had not received staff increment in their salaries,” Mr Kombat said.

“This year, we had to negotiate with the unions and make sure that staff salaries went up by 30 per cent,” he added.

The managing director said management had also reviewed and addressed more than 300 outstanding staff petitions relating to delayed promotions, some of which had remained unresolved for years.

Although the promotion adjustments increased the refinery’s wage bill by 10 per cent, he said management had been able to absorb the additional cost.

“We also addressed more than 300 staff petitions that were left unattended to. It increased our wage bill by 10 per cent, but we were able to shoulder it,” he said.

Mr Kombat explained that staff welfare had become a priority under the refinery’s recovery programme, dubbed Project Restore and Reset TOR, following years of declining operations that had affected employee morale.

He said when the current management assumed office in 2025, the refinery was facing significant financial challenges, with accumulated losses of about GH¢10 billion and debt estimated at $517 million.

The refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit had also been out of operation since April 2021, while its Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker had been shut down since 2019.

According to Mr Kombat, the prolonged operational difficulties contributed to low staff morale, with some workers leaving the refinery for opportunities in neighbouring countries and the Middle East.

He said management had since taken steps to rebuild confidence among workers through engagement with the refinery’s four unions, their national executives and the Trades Union Congress.

The refinery resumed crude processing on December 19, 2025, after completing turnaround maintenance on its Crude Distillation Unit.

Mr Kombat said the restoration of operations had also created employment opportunities, including 415 permanent positions for young engineers, alongside temporary jobs linked to maintenance activities and local contractors.

He said management remained committed to improving working conditions, strengthening operational efficiency and positioning TOR as a commercially viable refinery.

The salary increase comes as the refinery reports improved financial performance, including a profit before tax of GH¢1.24 billion in 2025, its first profit in a decade, according to the managing director.

Mr Kombat said management would continue working to consolidate the gains made under President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda while ensuring that the refinery fulfilled its role in Ghana’s energy security and industrial development.