Unease As MWUN Deadline To NPA Over Alleged Unpaid Salary Expires

There was palpable fear in the ports yesterday as the deadline that was given by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) over alleged non-payment of salaries to some of its members expired.

The union had protested the non-payment of salaries for about eight months to tally clerks and on-board security, who are all its members.

At the protest which held last Friday at the dockworkers’ branch secretariat in the Kirikiri area of Apapa in Lagos, the union reminded NPA of a tripartite agreement that was reached between it, the NPA and the National Association of Stevedoring Contractors in which NPA reportedly promised to pay the outstanding salaries in October.

The agreement which was sighted by our correspondent was signed by Mr Olumide Oduntan(executive  director finance and administration) on behalf of NPA and  the President General of MWUN; Comrade Tony Nted Emmanuel  and the President of National Association of Stevedoring Contractors ; Mr Bolaji Sunmonu on August 15, 2013.

At the rally, the MWUN leader threatened that the union could not guarantee continued peace if the money was not paid by October 30 (that is, yesterday).

Last Friday, he had said: “Today is the 26^th of October, I want to still believe that on the 30^th of October, the Nigerian Ports Authourity will honour that agreement or else, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria will have no other alternative than to withdraw our services from all the ports of the federation”.

Shipping Position Daily confirmed yesterday that the money had not been paid, it was however learnt that the President General of the union was invited to a meeting in Abuja by the minister of labour; Chief Emeka Wogu.

When contacted by our correspondent, both the secretary general of the union; Comrade Aham Ubani and the president of Dockworkers branch; Comrade Adewale Adeyanju refused to comment, even though the later gave a hint of the meeting.

But our correspondents who spoke with a cross-section of dockworkers were told that they were waiting for instructions from the leadership of the union.

The dockworkers who expressed confidence in the ability of their leaders to represent them adequately also told our correspondent that they had been adequately mobilised for strike in all the nation’s sea ports.
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