Maritime workers threaten to shut down seaports over unpaid wages

MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over alleged eight months unpaid salaries to over 2500 dockworkers engaged as tally clerks and onboard security men at all ports formations nationwide.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, President-General of the union, Anthony Emmanuel Nted, explained that the union would withdraw its members from the ports hence shutting down all ports operations at the expiration of the ultimatum.

Besides, he noted that the union had to issue the fresh ultimatum as several meetings and agreements with NPA over the issue in the past, yielded no result.

“Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men are dockworkers duly registered by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Tally Clerks are statutorily empowered to perform the duty of tallying all import cargoes being discharged into our seaports, from ships and also tallying all export cargoes being loaded into ships in our seaports and terminals, on-shore and offshore. Similarly on-board security men are also statutorily empowered to provide security onboard ships.

The wages of Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men were paid by the Nigerian Ports Authority, through the Stevedoring Contractors. Payment of their wages in the past was promptly made as when due until a few but highly influential persons in connivance and collaboration with past and present management personnel of NPA created a body known as Cargo Surveyors to unjustly take over the statutory functions of the Tally Clerks and Onboard security men.

“The money for the wages of these dockworkers is now diverted to the payment of the Cargo Surveyors. The management of NPA pays this body (Cargo Surveyors) millions of Naira monthly to the neglect of the Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men, whose services are prepaid for to NPA by the cargo owners/shipping agents. We have made every move possible to ensure a peaceful resolution of this matter. This includes meetings with the NPA management, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Federal Ministry of Transport and subsequent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and promises, which the NPA reneged on,” Nted alleged.

He said, “Even specific directives from the Federal Ministry of Transport were ignored by the NPA management. As of today, these dockworkers (Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men) are being owed over eight (8) months’ salary arrears.

“We have recently issued a 14 Days Ultimatum to NPA’s management to effect full payment of all the outstanding wages or face industrial action at the expiration of the ultimatum. We strongly insist that Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men cannot be unjustly substituted with Cargo Surveyors. We also demanded that the so called Cargo Surveyors be withdrawn from all our seaports without further delay.”

Speaking further, he said government is yet to fulfill its promise on the rehabilitation of the access roads to the ports and tackling the menace of tanker drivers, a year after the promise was made.
He said government must urgently address the issues to prevent a major confrontation with maritime workers.

“Our union cried out as usual but was asked to exercise patience. Today, the access road reconstruction and expansion works seem abandoned and traffic in and out of our seaports especially Lagos Ports, Onne Port and Port Harcourt with high port activities is in total chaos. Level of productivity and operational efficiency in these ports are seriously impaired, while our members and other port users are daily exposed to increased risk and stress. We believe that government is a continuous process and therefore call on the present administration to resuscitate the contract awarded to Julius Berger to re-construct and expand the access road to the Ports.

“We demand that this be given a priority attention bearing in mind that the Ports are the gateway to the National Economy. We further demand that all terminal operators should not allow rickety trucks and trailers without container loading hooks for container deliveries. Trailers carrying laden containers that are not lashed should not be allowed to do haulage business in the Ports because they constitute danger to commuters and the general public.

“The government as matter of urgency should constitute a Task Force of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) to check trailers and trucks doing business in our Ports. Installation of weigh bridges in all the seaports to curb over loading of trucks and vehicles, Provision of parking bay in all the terminals to decongest the access road to the Port, and we suggest that movement of laden containers and petroleum tankers be restricted to night i.e. (7 p.m. – 6 a.m.) with improved securities on our roads to ease traffic congestion,” He said.