Retrenched Dockworkers drag, NIMASA, others to Industrial court

For allegedly owing them about N800 Million, 18 retrenched dockworkers who claimed to have been registered at the Calabar port, have dragged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Federal Ministry of Labour and others before the National Industrial Court in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Awal had after listening to the arguments of the plaintiff and the defendant counsels adjourned the matter for ruling on June 5, 2012

For allegedly owing them about N800 Million, 18 retrenched dockworkers who claimed to have been registered at the Calabar port, have dragged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Federal Ministry of Labour and others before the National Industrial Court in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Awal had after listening to the arguments of the plaintiff and the defendant counsels adjourned the matter for ruling on June 5, 2012
Speaking in an interview after the , counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Mathew Atambi disclosed that they were in Court to enforce the fundamental rights of the 18 workers, who were retrenched since September 2011.
He stated that the workers were retrenched for protesting the non-payment of their wages and salaries since 2008 according to the Federal Government’s concession agreement with private port owners.
“We are in court to enforce the fundamental human rights of our clients and also to ensure that the reforms are duly followed. They are owing us over N800 million for wages that have not been paid and about N180 million on salaries which have not been paid since 2008, ‘’ he said.
Atambi said that they were seeking the intervention of the court for the payment of the workers, adding that all attempts to reconcile out of court had proved abortive.
He also said that contrary to the claims by the union officials that the retrenched workers are casual staff, the workers were permanent staff following the new reforms introduced by the federal government, they were automatically made permanent staff.
“The reforms by the federal government removed casualisation and made us permanent staff, ‘’ he added.