Adewale Adeyanju
The
dockworkers branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has
assured protesting dockworkers that the terminal benefit for workers
will be reviewed come May, 2016.
Disclosing this to the Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview the President, dockworkers branch of the MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, stated that the agreement in place is that every two years, the terminal benefit of workers will be reviewed upwards.
According to him, “in the past, there was nothing like terminal benefits or condition of service for workers at the ports. We at the MWUN was able to secure that for workers in 2014.
“The agreement we secured in 2014 is subject for review upward in every two years. So we are set to review the terminal benefit come May, 2016. We were also able to secure for the workers condition of service which was unprecedented in the history of dock layout at the seaports.
“Again, there was nothing like pension in the past. People work and get paid off after they retire or resign. However, as I am talking to you, all over the seaports, dockworkers are pensionable.
“For the N350,000, we did not take sides in the whole process. It is basically a National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) agreement. It is an agreement that is binding on all of us. However, the N350,000 is excluding their pensions. They will get their pension as far as we are concerned.
“They are all pensionable and their pension administrator is Sigma. Since ENL started operations, Sigma has been deducting their pension. And there are guidelines for workers who wish to go.
“For the disengaged workers, Sigma will work hand-in-hand with the workers and ENL on how they (workers) will get their money.
“In the past, dockworkers have nothing like condition of service or terminal benefits. We at the MWUN, stopped all that and secured condition of service and terminal benefits two years ago, and we are set to review that next month.
“The N350,000 is just a starting point. We will be reviewing this agreement every two years; and the workers can count on us to review it upwards every two years. By end of May, the 2014 agreement will be due for review. We have not compromised as some of the workers think.”
On why some of the workers insist on quitting their jobs, Adeyanu explained that, “the workers wanted to go because they thought the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will terminate the ENL lease contract after 10 years and they will all be sacked.
“They felt since it’s already 10 years that the ENL terminal began port operation that the NPA will terminate the terminals contract and they will all be sacked.
“However, we tried to make them see reason that the lease contract has been renewed. I even had a letter of the renewal of the terminal lease agreement with the NPA and I showed it to them, but some of them still insisted on leaving.
Disclosing this to the Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview the President, dockworkers branch of the MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, stated that the agreement in place is that every two years, the terminal benefit of workers will be reviewed upwards.
According to him, “in the past, there was nothing like terminal benefits or condition of service for workers at the ports. We at the MWUN was able to secure that for workers in 2014.
“The agreement we secured in 2014 is subject for review upward in every two years. So we are set to review the terminal benefit come May, 2016. We were also able to secure for the workers condition of service which was unprecedented in the history of dock layout at the seaports.
“Again, there was nothing like pension in the past. People work and get paid off after they retire or resign. However, as I am talking to you, all over the seaports, dockworkers are pensionable.
“For the N350,000, we did not take sides in the whole process. It is basically a National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) agreement. It is an agreement that is binding on all of us. However, the N350,000 is excluding their pensions. They will get their pension as far as we are concerned.
“They are all pensionable and their pension administrator is Sigma. Since ENL started operations, Sigma has been deducting their pension. And there are guidelines for workers who wish to go.
“For the disengaged workers, Sigma will work hand-in-hand with the workers and ENL on how they (workers) will get their money.
“In the past, dockworkers have nothing like condition of service or terminal benefits. We at the MWUN, stopped all that and secured condition of service and terminal benefits two years ago, and we are set to review that next month.
“The N350,000 is just a starting point. We will be reviewing this agreement every two years; and the workers can count on us to review it upwards every two years. By end of May, the 2014 agreement will be due for review. We have not compromised as some of the workers think.”
On why some of the workers insist on quitting their jobs, Adeyanu explained that, “the workers wanted to go because they thought the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will terminate the ENL lease contract after 10 years and they will all be sacked.
“They felt since it’s already 10 years that the ENL terminal began port operation that the NPA will terminate the terminals contract and they will all be sacked.
“However, we tried to make them see reason that the lease contract has been renewed. I even had a letter of the renewal of the terminal lease agreement with the NPA and I showed it to them, but some of them still insisted on leaving.
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