07 August 2014, Lagos -There are indications that the management of the A. P. Moller terminals limited may be on collision course with its forklift drivers over the non-payment of production allowances.
While the workers (forklift drivers) are insisting on being paid their production allowances, the management was said to have given conditions for the payments of the allowances. A memo obtained by Vanguard, showed that APMT management had to suspend pay talks with members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) who are negotiating on behalf of the workers because conditions for the payment of production allowance were not met.
Already, workers have lost confidence in the Union as they (workers) are of the opinion that the Union has compromised their interest. Sources close to the terminal told Vanguard that the year end for the company is April of every year and at the time of filling this report the issue of production allowance was yet to be resolved.
It was also said that sometime in 2009, workers were appreciated with recharge card of three thousand each and in 2014, the appreciation came down to N200.00 recharge card per person. .
Part of the memo which was signed by APMT’s Operations Labour Manager (OLM) Mr. Kevin Blight reads “ The 2014 pay talks has been suspended until the R.T. G 5x 4 (Rubber Tyer Gantry) cranes manning is resolved between management and the MWUN
“The next meeting has been arranged for Monday 12th of June 2014, when the issue will hopefully be concluded, the company wish to conclude the pay deal quickly” .
Besides the lingering issue of non-payment of production allowance, the management of APMT has introduced a new line of operation for its crane operators, a development the workers are vehemently opposing. While the management wants six operators to man five RTG cranes, the operators want to maintain the status quo of three operators manning two cranes.
– Vanguard
