For the third time this year, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has threatened to ground operations at the nation’s seaports by this weekend if the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) fails to pay six months outstanding salary arrears of tally clerks and onboard security men.
MWUN President-General, Comrade Tony Nted issued the fresh threat while speaking to newsmen yesterday in Lagos.
“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,” Nted said.
However, when contacted, the General Manager Public Affairs of NPA, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu asked 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.
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