The National Association of Stevedoring Companies; the employers of dockworkers in Nigeria, has vowed to look into the activities of tank farms operating in Nigeria with a view to ensuring that the remunerations being given to them are commensurate with those of their counterparts elsewhere in the world.
The association’s national president, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week stated that the rates currently being paid to dockworkers vary from one tank farm to the other adding that this is not acceptable.
The National Association of Stevedoring Companies; the employers of dockworkers in Nigeria, has vowed to look into the activities of tank farms operating in Nigeria with a view to ensuring that the remunerations being given to them are commensurate with those of their counterparts elsewhere in the world.
The association’s national president, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week stated that the rates currently being paid to dockworkers vary from one tank farm to the other adding that this is not acceptable.
Some aggrieved dockworkers who spoke with our correspondent recently lamented had that many of the tank farms operators in Apapa Lagos do not engage the services of genuine dockworkers; rather they go for cheap labour from the adjoining riverine communities at Igbologun, Snake Island and Kirikiri of Lagos State.
Sunmola however confirmed to our correspondent last week that the association is not resting on its oars in ensuring that the challenges at the tank farms are tackled, he assured that the issue is being looked into and that it will be harmonized very soon.
“What I know is that at every jetty that handles bulk liquid whereby you have discharge of petrol to tank farms, the stevedore must be there, I am not very sure about operations within the tank farms but at the jetty it is the work of the stevedore, they must be there to handle the discharge”, he explained.
“This is what we are trying to harmonize; we have been trying to harmonize the disparity of rates, we have been talking to the right quarters to see that the rates are harmonized and we are still handling it”.
“We want to ensure that we have a common rate for stevedores at every tank farm. I am sure we don’t have dockworker working at these places at present, and we know by law that they should be there; these are issues that should be corrected” Sunmola stated.
Some aggrieved dockworkers alleged recently that apart from ASCON Oil and Gas, Gulf Treasure, Sahara, Aquitane, Total and Zenon which are contracted to Micura Stevedoring services Limited, none of the remaining tank farm operators engage the services of dockworkers, and rather they employ the services of the community youths.
They also alleged that the indigenes (who are non-dockworkers) from Kirikiri community and Snake Island are paid N17, 000 per month without any condition of services attached to the terms of employment
This action according to the dockworkers is illegal because the NIMASA Act of 2007 clearly stipulates that all dockworkers should register with the maritime regulatory agency.
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