No fewer than 500 disengaged dockworkers working in the two ports in Rivers State will soon receive their severance packages from the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
This was disclosed by the Trustee, Dockworkers Branch of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN), Comrade Waite Harry, during an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
He listed the beneficiaries as talley clerks and on board security men.
Harry who lamented that disengaged dockworkers were passing through hell due to  lack of jobs and non payment of salaries, said over 18 of its members died in 2019 due to poverty and hardship.
He said NPA would commence the payment of severance packages to workers in Lagos and later proceed to Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar ports in the coming weeks.
Comrade Harry who described casualisation of dockworkers as a crime, said the workers were now paid by improved tonnage instead of what was remitted to them before by NPA.
“Dockworkers today are on tonnage payment, when the ships comes to the port, they are hired to offload the cargos and later paid on tonnage basis”. Waite said
He appealed to the NPA to settle their dispute with the BUA Ports and Terminals in Rivers Port Complex as to re-engage idle dockworkers to site.
“If the contractor (BUA) is not going to work again, NPA should bring another contractor to the terminals so that idle dockworkers could be re-engaged”  he said.
He lauded the improved security at Rivers Port Complex and commended the Port Manager, Engr. Yinusa Ibrahim Anji, for his proactiveness, since assumption of duty six months ago.

By: Chinedu Wosu