Intels’ Workers Protest Over Non-Payment Of Benefits

The Association of Maritime Workers Union (AMWU) has appealed to Federal Government, Rivers State Government, Nigerian Port Authority, and NIMASA Director General to wade into the non-payment of its members’ benefits by Intels Nigeria Ltd.
The Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Maritime Workers Union, INTELS/AMS Branch, Mr Sunday Atakpo, made the appeal during a protest organised by the group at the Integrated Logistic Services (Intels) in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State.
Atakpo said that 633 out of 700 members of their union working for Integrated Logistic Services in Nigeria were placed on redundancy without payment of their take home benefits, adding that the members who had worked for 23 to 25 years with AMS under INTELS’ appointment were terminated without following the condition of service which gives them right to go home with benefits after service.
“We were told that Intels don’t know AMS but our applications, interview employment, queries, suspensions and terminations are done here by Intels.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government, our state government, Nigeria Port Authority, NIMASA Director General to come to our aid, and urge Intels management to pay us our benefits because a labourer earns wage.
“We are not saying we will not go as they have terminated us, many of us are even ready for voluntary redundancy but what we are saying is that they should pay us our take home benefits just as they paid our counterparts in Intels,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Junior Staff of Intels Association of Maritime Services, Mr Tunde Bolaji, said that “the workers are protesting because 90 per cent of us they placed on redundancy without benefits have served for 10 years”.
Bolaji opined that the company’s system of calling back workers after redundancy was contrary to Nigerian labour law.
Reacting, the Management of Intels Nigeria Limited expressed concern over the ongoing industrial action by members of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), which has impacted its services at the Onne Port, Rivers State.
MWUN began an indefinite strike, last Monday, over the redundancy of some 500 workers at the Onne Port.
In a statement it issued, last Monday, Intels said the affected workers are not its employees, but the staff of one of its labour contractors named Associated Maritime Services Limited (AMS).
Part of the statement reads: “The Management of Intels Nigeria Limited (Intels) notes with concern the ongoing industrial action by members of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) which has impacted our services and wish to state the position of our Company as follows: Due to low operational activities arising from the general low activities in the oil and gas industry attributable mainly to fall in the crude oil price which affected most of our clients, coupled with Covid-19 pandemic, Management of Intels was constrained to embark on a redundancy exercise recently.
“The redundancy exercise affected both our direct employees and some of our labour contractors, such as Associated Maritime Services Limited (AMS), whose contract with Intels had to be partially terminated, and committed to paying entitlements due to AMS under the labour contract.
“In accordance with extant laws and the Conditions of Service applicable to employees of Intels, we engaged both SSASCGOC and MWUN in a negotiation over the modalities for the redundancy exercise as it affects Intel’s employees.
“Following agreement reached with both SSASCGOC and MWUN, the redundancy exercise was successfully implemented in respect of employees of Intels affected by the exercise.
“AMS also embarked on a redundancy exercise and engaged in negotiation with SSASCGOC and MWUN with respect to its employees affected by the redundancy exercise and committed to paying all entitlements due to its staff affected by the redundancy in accordance with the provisions of the Conditions of Service of AMS.
“The ongoing strike action is as a result of an alleged disagreement between AMS, SSASCGOC, and MWUN over the issue of an entitlement referred to as extra gratuity claimed by SSASCGOC and MWUN outside the applicable Conditions of Service of AMS, which is a matter to be addressed entirely among the three parties.
“As can be seen from the above, neither SSASCGOC nor MWUN has any dispute with Intels, and it is therefore surprising to us that SSASCGOC and MWUN would extend their alleged grievance (if any) to our organization, an action which is totally misconceived, as AMS is a separate legal entity from Intels and is not a subsidiary of Intels.
“All allegations reported by MWUN and media of engaging the services of armed security agents who chased away and wounded people are false and without any basis. The Law Enforcement Units deployed at our Company premises have acted and will always act with due regard to the Voluntary Principles of Security on Human Rights.
“We assure the general public and particularly all our clients, that we are taking all necessary legal steps to address this unwarranted and illegal disruption of some of our activities in order to bring the situation under control and minimize any adverse impact on our clients.”