The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has reassured its commitment to the welfare of staff, even as it said that it was set to disburse outstanding payments it owed tally clerks and on-board security men currently engaged by the agency.
Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi gave this indication recently at the National Executive Meeting of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), which held in Lagos.
Abdullahi assured the union that payment of outstanding allowances of tally clerks and on-board security men is already ongoing, even as he revealed that the review of financial guides to their conditions of service is still receiving management’s attention.
The NPA boss who was represented at the meeting by the authority’s Principal Manager, Mr. Kenny Awonisiko assured further that the minimum wage of port workers was equally receiving management’s attention.
He disclosed that, “training and retraining of employees, both locally and internationally are ongoing, promotion exercises will soon commence adding that all employees will benefit”.
Stressing the commitment of the NPA to the welfare of dockworkers, he also sought the workers’ cooperation saying, “management wishes to assure the union that it will be carried along in matters relating to staff welfare”.
“Therefore we solicit for your continued and total commitment towards achieving greater efficiency and improvement in our services. The ultimate goal is to make NPA competitive in the entire African region”, he stated.
Abdullahi noted that human needs are insatiable, and so are workers’ demands, hence, he assured that NPA management tries to keep abreast the demand of its staff with commitment to their welfare.
However, the NPA boss charged the dockworkers to reciprocate all the good gestures of the authority with total commitment, honesty, and dedication to duty. This according to him will further culminate into higher productivity.
“Management hereby solicits for a continuous dialogue in resolving any issue rather than strike which can be counter-productive” he appealed.
Meanwhile, the President General of the union; Comrade Tony Nted has called on dockworkers to make future plans with their money.
Comrade Nted assured the workers of provision for soft loans in order to establish mini- enterprises for poorly paid workers in the port industry. He also said that the union will continue with its workshop on ‘life after retirement’ for the benefit of members.
“Our concern for the welfare of workers is both for the periods they are in paid employment and after. We make passionate appeal to all members to make personal plans for their tomorrow”, he advised.
He added that “this is the global trend among the working class in civilized climes and we should all key into this in our individual interest”.
