NPA Management Bows To Workers

The much-expected meeting between the management of Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) and the two house unions has yielded its first fruit. The management has agreed that, all pending promotions should be released.

The two unions, namely: the Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC), NPA and the NPA branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) had taken the management to task on two issues which border on promotion and a new condition of service.

Sources close to the two parties confirm to our correspondent yesterday that, at the meeting which held last Friday, NPA management agreed to meet the workers’ demands, but shifted decision on the conditions of service to the board, a development which was confirmed leaders of the unions.

One of the leaders told our correspondent that the management of NPA pleaded for understanding, because the issue of conditions of service can only be handled at the level of Board of Directors.

Specifically, the president of NPA branch of SSACTAC; Comrade Omezia Umar stated that , yes “the issue of delayed and accumulated workers promotions has been resolved”, but he noted that board will still sit on the other issues.

Shipping Position Daily was however told yesterday that the workers may still go to their trenches.

A source who pleaded anonymity stated that the workers were not really too happy with their leaders for not insisting that other issues be resolved before the strike was suspended

“The fact is that, many of us are not happy, because only one item has been addressed, what about condition of service, they(management) won’t talk about it now, they have deceived us”. He however said he was not speaking officially, even though he is also a union leader.

Shipping Position Daily also confirmed that, the temporary truce was reached following a directive the Ministry of transport that the contending issues be resolved before they escalate.