Following the intervention of the Federal Government, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has extended the ultimatum it handed down to the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) till next week to pay 11 months outstanding salaries of tally clerks and onboard security men, among other grievances, or risk industrial action that could lead to the shutdown of ports operations across the country.
The union had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum to NPA over the issues, lamenting that same authority spends about N300 million monthly to pay illegal employees known as Cargo Surveyors, who had nothing to do at the ports.
Before the ultimatum elapsed in the last week of June, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, summoned stakeholders, including Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to a meeting to find solution to the looming industrial unrest in the ports.
President-General of MWUN, Emmanuel Nted, said due to the intervention of Wogu, the union decided to extend the ultimatum by another 14 days to enable NPA sort itself out over the issues.
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