Alli Folashade Temitope
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) branch of the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC) has threatened to down tool if the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) refuses to meet all the demands of the union.
Speaking exclusively to our Correspondent, the President of SSACTAC, NPA Branch, Comrade Omeiza Jimoh Umar, disclosed that the three weeks ultimatum issued since December 10, 2013 and will elapse on December 23 may likely push the association to down tool since the NPA management is being lackadaisical about their demands.
Umar noted that the Federal Government should give directives to the NPA management for an urgent decision so that Welfare issues affecting the work force will not shut down the authority’s operation.
Highlighting the issues, Umar said: “We are giving ultimatum to the Nigerian Ports Authority to address the welfare issue affecting the work force which includes; minimum wage 2011, financial guide to the condition of service, promotion, housing loan ,2008 gratituty plan and other issues.”
It will be recalled that the union had petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, threatening to shut down the nation’s ports over unpaid 11 months salaries to members by the NPA, among others issues.
In a petition dated June 12, 2013, the union alleged that NPA had, for the past 11 months not paid Tally clerks, onboard security men and others, but had been spending not less than N300 million monthly to pay illegal employees known as Cargo Surveyors, who have nothing to do at the ports.
It gave the management of NPA 14-day ultimatum pay the tally clerks, onboard security men their 11-month unpaid salaries and disengage the cargo surveyor who had no defined job in the ports, but receive fat pay, failing which the nation’s ports would be shut down indefinitely.
According to the union, the Dockworkers, including the Tally Clerks and On-board Security men, were registered by the National Dock Labour Board NDLB, to work in the Sea Ports, Private Terminals and Jetties and were trained in the act of cargo handling/loading and discharging of ships.
The union said Section 35 of the Nigeria Dock Labour Decree No. 37 of 1999 which established the Joint Dock Labour Industrial Council, JODLIC, described a Dock as “a person registered under the Decree to perform duties connected with the loading arid discharging of ships.”
Specifically, MWUN, the so called cargo surveyors of NPA, “are not known under the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Act 2007, which regulates Maritime Labour activities in Nigerian Ports, hence not permitted by law to perform the role of registered Tally Clerks”.
According to the petition, “On-board Security men are involved in watching over cargo to avoid theft and over boarding and to prevent unauthorized shore leave through the gangway by crew members. Their function also helps to prevent attack of vessels in the Ports by terrorist and pirates in line with requirement of the ISPS code on port and ship security and safety.”
“Tallying services is for the benefit of the ship, the cargo owners, the port and indeed the nation. That is why the ship/ship agent-must countersign or stamp every cargo record from the ship. It is through physical recording of cargo landed that discrepancy can be detected. It is through Quay Apron Tallying that undeclared tonnage can be detected in the interest of national economy. It is the record of Tally Clerks that serve as evidence that the ship has delivered to the consignee’s nominated port destination.”
“It is unjust and undesirable for NPA Management to attempt to substitute registered Tally Clerks with Cargo Surveyors because looking at all past and subsisting legislation; there has always been provision for registered Tally Clerks and On board Security men because of their strategic importance to the Maritime industry and tacit security value as “whistle blowers”.
