Disengaged tally and onboard security men section of dockworkers in Port Harcourt Port have lamented over delay in the payment of their severance package by the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Speaking to The Tide yesterday at the Port Harcourt port labour hall, they regretted the delay in payment of the already approved disengagement package after the recent verification exercise that took place at the NPA dockyard.
It would be recalled that a verification exercise was conducted on December 19, 2018 to ascertain the exact number of the disengaged workers.
The National Organising Secretary, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Abdulahi Oroje, while addressing workers, promised that the union in collaboration with the management of NPA would remit the workers’ last year severance entitlements as soon as the actual number of the disengaged personnel were audited and approved.
He also assured that money had been set aside to take care of all the affected workers entitlement pending the conclusion of the verification exercise.
One of the affected workers, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the delay in payment of the severance package by NPA was a deliberate attempt to impose more hardship on already disengaged workers who had no other source of livelihood after service.
He further disclosed that the verification exercise which they hinged the payment on, ended since December 19, 2018, yet no sign of payment till date.
He appealed to the authorities in charge of the payment to without further delay, settle the disengaged workers, some of whom he said, were incapacitated.
Meanwhile, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Pool Central District Chairman, Comrade Jeremiah Ibiks, had on February 27, 2019, addressed the affected workers, assuring that payment arrangement had reached up to 95 per cent target and that very soon their severance package would be paid.
Effort to speak with the port manager proved abortive as he was not available at the time of this report.