The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has banned tally clerks and onboard security men who are members of dockworkers branch of the union from protesting at the corporate headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), over delay in the payment of their entitlement.
President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who gave the directive yesterday in Lagos, assured members of the branch that payment would soon be made by the government, even as he praised the Managing Director of NPA; Hadiza Bala Usman as a wonderful woman who listens to the union, unlike previous management.
The MWUN President General was reacting to protest at the NPA by some dockworkers over the delay in payment of the entitlement of some tally clerks and onboard security.
Frowning at the protests, Adeyanju reiterated that dockworkers should bring their grievances to the union and not to the government agency that is saddled with the responsibility of mediating in the mode of payment.
He maintained that the union would not pave the way for some unscrupulous workers to rubbish the reputation of the union that has been built over the years.
He said hooliganism has become a thing of the past in the union, even as he added that protest, demonstration and placards carrying will not resolve the delay in payment of the money question.
"The dockworkers we have today are a responsible union and as a career labour officer like every other worker, I want to give a directive that from today, there will be no group of workers without due process carrying placards under the name of protest at the corporate headquarters of the NPA.
"It is the union that gives directives and it is the union that regulates activities of the dockworkers. And part of my responsibility as the leader of MWUN is to give directive to you. We must respect the rules of engagement and the rule of laws”, he directed.
The President General maintained that the issue of payment for onboard security men and tally clerks has been resolved, pointing out that payment would be made in due course.
He lamented that the union has worked round the clock to ensure that payments are made to the workers, and ordered that, “nobody should take laws into their hands”.
Adeyanju urged the aggrieved workers to desist from any form manipulation that might have arisen from sponsors of the protest , noting that approval have been made for them to be paid.
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