Tally clerks and Onboard Security Men operating at the Port Harcourt ports have threatened to seek legal redress against the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for allegedly failing to correct illegal deductions from welfare packages and arrears owed to the workers.
Tally clerks and Onboard Security Men operating at the Port Harcourt ports have threatened to seek legal redress against the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for allegedly failing to correct illegal deductions from welfare packages and arrears owed to the workers.
The workers particularly accused NIMASA of shielding one of the allegedly perpetrators of the act; Patrade Nigeria Limited who was accused of poor performance and continuous delay of payment of salaries for the past five months without reason.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily correspondent in Port Harcourt, spokesman of the aggrieved dockworkers, Comrade Telema Williams alleged that the N38,000 minimum wage owed since June 2008, is still unpaid.
He regretted that at the time, both NPA and NIMASA were fully aware, but that they did nothing to implement the increments.
Williams lamented that it is unfortunate that the authorities are yet to address the workers’ concern by paying them all outstanding arrears and alleged illegal deductions from their salaries. He said that any moment from now, the dockworkers will seek legal redress.
Asked to give details to the arrears owed Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men, he said 5% of their entitlement was owed between the year 2008 to 2010, while between 2010 to 2012, 5% out of 15% was unpaid.
He acknowledged that they received only 10% of the money between 2010 to 2012, which made them to request for the remaining 5%.
Williams also said that none of them had been paid between 2012 and 2014, he said that as a group, that Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men at Rivers Port are law abiding citizens, and therefore will take appropriate steps to resolve the matter amicably.
“We have taken this matter to the Commissioner of Police in charge of Eastern Ports, both former and present.; we have also reported to the Human Right, Social Development and Environment Foundation, Port Hacourt on the matter”, Telema Williams stated.
He added that the dockworkers have employed all peaceful avenues to get the monies they are owed to be paid and other issues resolved amicably, but regretted that if the authorities involved in the matter refuse to address their demands, they may have no other choice, but to go to court.
Investigations carried out by our correspondent at the port revealed that part of the challenges of Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men at Rivers port was the insistence by NIMASA, Eastern Zone to continue to retain Patrade Nigeria Limited.
A reliable source confirmed to our correspondent last week that Patrade Nigeria Limited still owes four months’ salary, a reason the group asked NIMASA Coordinator Eastern Zone to sack Patrade Nigeria Limited.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that on 26th of June 2008, a meeting was convened at the instance of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, to resolve the issues surrounding the services and entitlements of Tally Clerks and Onboard Security men.
At the end of the meeting, impressive decisions were reached on the need to meet the demands, the resolutions and decisions were signed by the Seaport Terminal Operator Associations, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), NPA and Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
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