NPA wades into port workers strike - as protest paralyses the port

The Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) has stepped into the crisis between the Maritime Workers Union and International Oil Companies( IOCs) over unpaid wages.

The angry port workers have embarked on a strike action today after the expiration of the two -week ultimatum given to the IOCs to call for negotiations on the vexed issue expired last night.

However, as the strike action begins to take its toll on port operations, the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, has intervened in the crisis.

While addressing the protesting Maritime Workers this morning, NPA Executive Director, Marine Operations, Dr Sokente Davies who represented the MD assured the workers that the International Oil Companies (IOC) have called for a meeting by 1 pm.

Hadiza Bala Usman explained that the Authority is with the workers over their unpaid entitlement from the IOC’s.

“The management of the NPA empathises with the workers over their situation. We empathise with the workers because we are the ones who appointed the stevedoring contractors”

“However, we are going to sort the issue because the IOC’s, who are the major recalcitrant in this matter, have started calling for a meeting since the workers began their action.

“The awareness has been created, and we believe the meeting that will hold by 1 pm today will solve the issues.”The MWUN leadership were still in a meeting with the NPA leadership as at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the President-Generaral of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju said that the decision to embark on strike was its last resort after the expiration of the two weeks ultimate issued to the IOCs on the matter.

According to Adeyanju, the IOCs have also refused to get into talks with the union for a way forward since the expiration of the ultimatum. A situation he said had been so for about one year now.

He said, “We want to use this medium to intimate you, and the Federal Government, of the non-payment of stevedoring wages to dockworkers by the international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria.

“We are aware that on June 1, 2018, the NPA appointed stevedoring contractors to provide stevedoring services at various offshore jetties and onshore locations to the international oil services and other operators.

“It will be necessary to inform you that NPA had held several meetings with these operators to grant access to the government-appointed stevedoring contractors, process their invoices and effect payment, but unfortunately, the operators have refused to comply with the NPA directive after one year that the contractors were appointed”