News: FG gives NPA 2 weeks ultimatum on workers’ arrears

The Federal Government has given the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, two weeks to determine the cost implications of the arrears and modalities for payment of the 12 months salary arrears to Tally Clerks and on-Board securities men members of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN.


President-General of MWUN, Emmanuel Anthony Nted, told Vanguard that this was part of the agreement reached at  stakeholders meeting called by government  to address the looming industrial unrest in the Maritime industry, over 12 months unpaid  salaries to Tally Clerks and on-board security men members of the union among other grievances.

He said the stakeholders would reconvene Tuesday, July 23, to agree on when the payment would commence.

Through the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the government had last Monday summoned the management of NPA, MWUN  and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and other stakeholders to a meeting to find solution to a planned strike by workers over 12 months unpaid salaries of Tally Clerks, on-board security men among other grievances.

But for the meeting, the union had planned to shut down the nation’s ports last Wednesday (July 17) two weeks after the Minister of Labour intervened and pleaded with the union to give the NPA time to sort things out.

However, Nted said at the Monday stakeholders’ meeting presided over by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr .Clement IIIoh, that the union has agreed to suspend the planned strike.

According to him, “At the end of the meeting, it was resolved that the NPA would need two weeks to receive inputs from the parts, determine the cost implications of the payment of arrears, interface with the Managing Director of NPA, and work out the modalities for payments accordingly.

“The meeting also noted the issues of the non-payment of salaries to Tally Clerks and on-board security men in different parts of the country and the statement by the Executive Director, NPA, on the insufficiency of the national budget for NPA for that purpose currently. Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity stressed the need to redress all issues pertaining to the payments of salaries where relevant, and arrears of the agreed increment.”