16 August 2015, Sweetcrude, Lagos – Labour has asked the Federal Government to hold the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, responsible for any action dockworkers decided to take over failure of the authority to pay them their wages.
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, are threatening to shut the nation’s ports over months of unpaid wages to dockworkers especially tally clerks and on board security gangway men despite several agreements.
According to Mr. Tony Emmanuel Nted, President-General of MWUN, the latest agreement reached with stakeholders including the NPA and Association of Stevedoring Companies, ASC, on July 9, 2015, at a meeting called by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, expired since July 30, without payment to the affected workers.
Nted maintained that the management of NPA was responsible for the delay and refusal to pay the affected workers and asked the government, shipping companies, terminal operators and others to hold NPA responsible for the planned shut down of the ports.
Lamenting that the union had no other explanation to give the aggrieved workers, he said the leadership of the union had placed all its leaders across the ports formations on the alert for a declaration of an indefinite industrial unrest since it appeared that the only language NPA management understood, was industrial action.
“As we speak, the month ended about five days ago, our members have not been paid and they have been suffering while the money meant for the payment of their wages has been diverted to fund illegal organisation.
“We had thought the last agreement would settle this issue, but it appears that the management of NPA does not want peace. We understand that NPA has refused to honour the agreement and endorse the payment. So, we have asked our officials across the country to mobilise members for a shut down,” he said.
