03 November 2013, Lagos – Maritime workers under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, have appealed to the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, for immediate payment of their outstanding salaries totalling about N700 million
President General of the union, Anthony Nted, made the appeal in Lagos as he also invited President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene on the matter.
Affected by the nine-month salary arrears are about 1,400 tally clerks and on-board security personnel.
According to Nted, the union had earlier agreed with the NPA management on the full payment of the salary arrears before the end of October.
The union leader, who lamented that the payment was yet to be effected as at the end of that month, revealed that the union may be forced to call out workers on an industrial action, which could paralyse activities at the ports.
Maintaining that there was no justification for the non-payment of the salary arrears, he noted that both the tally clerks and on-board security were carrying out their responsibilities most diligently, in the process, generating millions of naira daily for the NPA and the Federal Government.
“We are generating over N600million income for the federal government on daily basis and NPA has no reason whatsoever not to pay our members their salary arrears,” the union leader said.
He added: “The issue on ground is very clear because since January, the management of NPA has refused to pay tally clerks and on-board security their outstanding salaries even after an agreement was reached in August.
“At a tripartite meeting held with the management of NPA, maritime workers union and the representatives of Stevedoring contractors over the resolution of the tally clerk and on board security salary dispute on August 15, 2013, where it was agreed that by the end of October, their backlog of salaries would be paid.
“We want to believe that management of NPA will redeem their promise, but if they refuse to pay workers their full entitlements by the end of this month, we will be forced to withdraw the services of our members in the maritime sector”.
