Maritime workers threaten to shut ports over unpaid salaries

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria on Monday threatened to shut down seaports on Friday if the Nigerian Ports Authority failed to pay six months outstanding salary arrears to its members.

The President-General of the union, Mr Tony Nted, gave the threat in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

Nted said the workers, including tally clerks and on-board security men were aggrieved over the unpaid salaries.

He said, “This is now about the workers, who have been owed salaries even after NPA promised to pay long before now.

“In frustration, the workers attacked the zonal office of the union, saying the union had not pursued their payments vigorously.

“We are just lucky that people were not injured.

“However, they made their grievances known to the NPA and threatened to shut the ports by Friday if payments are not made.

“NPA has been promising to pay, but now they refused to pay.”

The Public Affairs Manager of NPA, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu, told the aggrieved workers to meet their employers.

He said the NPA would prefer to deal directly with stevedoring companies, who should in turn attend to their workers, rather than the NPA dealing with the dockworkers.

Source: Punch