The ever-frosty relationship between dockworkers and terminal operators is being further heated up in Port Harcourt as dockworkers have kicked against the compulsory deductions from their wages by their employers. The deductions are allegedly being made by the pensions fund administrators; IBTC Pensions.
The ever-frosty relationship between dockworkers and terminal operators is being further heated up in Port Harcourt as dockworkers have kicked against the compulsory deductions from their wages by their employers. The deductions are allegedly being made by the pensions fund administrators; IBTC Pensions.
Shipping Position Weekly correspondent learnt in Port Harcourt last week that although the recent one day strike by the mother union; the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) is over, dockworkers attached to BUA and PTOL; both terminal operators in Port Harcourt port are concerned over the unilateral deductions of pensions fund from their salary.
One of the embitter dockworkers with BUA Terminals who pleaded anonymity, described the deductions of IBTC Pensions from his meagre salary as wicked and uncalled for.
Showing our correspondent an SMS message on his mobile phone on the current IBTC Pension reductions, the Dockworker expressed concern that their welfare and well-being is not of concern to the Terminal operators.
“Look we are not staff, we are casual workers, they pay us only the days we come to work. If we are sick and don’t work, nothing for us. We are not paid on weekends. How can somebody force us to pay for pension funds when we are not willing?” the aggrieved dockworker told our correspondent last week.
Further investigations confirmed that deductions range from N2, 000 to N8, 000, depending on the monthly salary. Another dockworker said that they were told that the deductions will be paid if they die. “This is unfair. We have told them to stop these deductions because our money is too meagre”, the dockworker who works at BUA told Shipping Position Weekly amidst tears.
“We are like slave workers to the terminal operators at the ports. We work without any incentive. We don’t need this pension thing, because we are permanent casual workers”, another dockworker lamented.
Meanwhile we learnt that IBTC Pension had received the blessings of the Terminal Operators to continue the deductions irrespective of protests by the dockworkers.
As at press time, efforts made to speak to the two terminal operators; BUA and PTOL, proved abortive.
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