- As Unregistered Dockworkers Resurface At terminals, 10 years Into Port Concession
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is warming up for a facer-off with leading port concessionaire; Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) over the latter’s plans to sack over 1,600 dockworkers in its employ.
INTELS Nigeria Limited are the operators of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Area in Onne, Rivers State, with other operations in Warri, Delta State and Calabar, running supply services for oil and gas industry operators.
Shipping Position Daily gathered last week that the company has been badly hit by the economic policies of the Federal Government and as such, it could no longer maintain its workforce, especially the dockworkers. Confirming this development to Shipping Position Daily correspondent last week, Public Relations Officer of INTELS, Mr. Isidore Sambo said that the company like every other concessioned terminal is bleeding as a result of the harsh economic situation affecting the maritime industry. He said the company is going through re-organization just like every other company in the maritime sector.
He however denied the figure of workers to be sacked, saying that the process is not yet concluded. “Companies are going through re-organization at the moment because of the economy, so just like every other company we are also going through re-organization”.
“The process is not completed yet so I cannot confirm the sacking of anybody yet, anybody quoting that figure, I have no idea about it. I cannot speak for the union (NLC) and I have not had any contact with them, it’s up to them” “INTELS have been badly hit just like every other terminal operator, everybody is weighing what to do and we are also in the same process” Sambo stated.
Also confirming the development to our correspondent, President of Dockworkers Branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju said that the union is already in talks with INTELS in order to reduce the number of workers that have been pencilled down for sack. Adeyanju said MWUN had taken the matter to the NLC and the apex body has taken over the matter with INTELS.
”We are about to start the negotiation, the Nigeria Labour Congress has stepped into the matter, we are not going to accept this from INTELS because the number is too much” “Most of the companies are folding up as we all know because things are not moving well, the economy is affecting the maritime sector as a whole”.
“Vessels are not coming in and it has affected revenue, INTELS now is about to downsize 1,600 workers and this will affect us the more, but this figure is too much” Adeyanju stated He said the union is calling on INTELS to thread with caution, arguing that there is no job anywhere for the sacked workers. He lamented that as a result of the harsh policies of the Federal Government, vessels are no longer calling at INTELS and other concessioned terminals as before.
He said the situation is prevalent in Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri ports. “What is the plight of those being sacked? There is no job anywhere and this is why the NLC is calling on INTELS to thread with caution” he said.
In the meantime, there are strong indications that the pre-port concession cleansing of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), which included registration of all dockworkers and removal of several others from the ports, have broken down.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that hundreds of unregistered dockworkers, who claim to be members of the Dockworkers Branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), have found their ways back to the terminals, a development which may precipitate unrests in port operations. Our correspondents confirmed that leaders of the union are aware of the development whereby those who are not eligible to work are already fomenting trouble, but the union leaders claim to be helpless. Insider sources confirmed to our correspondent that the unregistered dockworkers’ comeback into the port is aided by unit heads and district officers, allegedly for political reasons.
According to them, the unregistered dockworkers work hand-in-hand with the district chairmen and unit heads. Sources also disclosed that the unregistered dockworkers are known as “blood tonic”, and that the unregistered dockworkers get their ‘salaries’ from unit members by way of donations.
One source said: “Our leaders have been able to bring those blood tonic back to the ports in order to foment trouble and we know it will boomerang when the time comes”. He confirmed that the recent demonstration at the ENL Terminal in Apapa port was master-minded by the unregistered dockworkers.
But, while confirming the infiltration of unregistered dockworkers into the port, President of dockworkers branch of the MWUN; Comrade Adewale Adeyanju accused the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) of failing to control the crowd that troop into the ports. He confirmed that fake dockworkers have taken over ENL terminal. He blamed the influx on the non-implementation of the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) facility Code.
Comrade Adewale Adeyanju in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in his office last weekend alleged that there has been a total breakdown in the implementation of the ISPS Code at some of the concessioned terminals Adeyanju said that the standard practice at the port is that each dockworker must have their terminal operator’s identification cards and NIMASA identification cards before NPA can grant them access into the port.
He however said that this is not being implemented. He alleged that the protest carried out by dockworkers working at ENL Terminal recently was hijacked by some dockworkers who have since been sacked by the terminal for stealing and other vices. ”Unregistered dockworkers infiltrating the port has to do with NIMASA because they have their port labour officers through the stevedoring companies, I would not know all the dockworkers, it is NIMASA that employed them through the stevedoring contractors”.
“The law is very clear, if you are not registered as a dockworker by NIMASA, it is N1million or six months imprisonment, those people that are infiltrating these ENL workers, majority of them have left ENL for almost six years, but when they heard that they are about paying workers, they started coming in and this is why you see agitation at the port”.
“Why do we have the ISPS code, we know what it says; that if you are not a worker you have no right to enter the terminal, we are talking about porosity of the port and influx of people into the ENL terminal, not only ENL, there are other terminals like that and they need to improve on this so that infiltration will be eradicated” he said.
Shipping Position
