A Trustee of the Dockworkers branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Waite Harry has called on the Federal Government to wade into the crises rocking the industrial relation between the Nigeria Ports Authority and Bua Ports and Terminals Limited in Port Harcourt.
Harry while addressing Dockworkers in a peaceful protest on Tuesday in port Harcourt said that the reason behind the protest by the workers was because vessels had stopped berthing at Bua Ports and Terminals for workers to work.
He stated that for about two months, his workers had been sent out of job as a result of the issue between NPA and Bua ports and terminals Ltd.
Harry noted that even as his officials had intervened to find out and reconcile the duo proved above.
“All efforts to know or understand what is happening between NPA and Bua proved abortive, nobody called our headquarters to tell them what is happening,” he added.
The National Truestee of Dockworkers branch stressed that, “on our own we have tried to get to the root of the matter between them, but we cannot get any result,” Harry stated.
The Dockworkers boss stressed that the workers had to resort to the peaceful protest since they could not get result from the intervention of their officials in the matter, adding that the protest was geared towards letting the world know of the issue on ground.
“The officials have intervened in the case, we intervened and discovered that the problem is between NPA and Bua Ports and Terminals, we gave them time to resolve but they refuse to settle,” Waite said.
“What we are saying is that whatever issue they have, should not affect workers, vessels should berth for workers to work because they are family members,” he stressed.
Also speaking, the District chairman, Port Harcourt Ports Dockworkers branch, Comrade Tony Nwokocha said that there were many vessels at far way buoy ready to berth at Bua Ports and terminals but because of the issue they could not come.
He called on both parties to resolve their differences but should allow vessels to berth for workers to work to get money to feed their families.
Nwokocha noted that the face-off between NPA and Bua Ports had caused an untold hardship on the dockworkers, saying that the problem was not caused by the workers.
“School has resumed, parents will buy books, pay school fees, sow uniforms and take general care of their families, where will they get money to do all these?,” he asked.
He called on the federal government to resolve the issue between Bua Ports and Terminals and NPA.
The District chairman noted that Dockworkers were casual workers adding that they earn what they work for daily bases.
Some of the placards carried by the protesting workers read: “we are Nigerians, don’t frustrate Nigerian businessmen,”, “We are dockworkers and we want work,” Injury to one is injury to all,” etc.
“Bua terminal is our source of livelihood, we don’t have any business more than shipwork.”
In his response, the ports manager, Rivers Ports, Engr. Yunusa Anji said that the protest by the Dockworkers was baseless.
He noted that all the claims of the protesters were false, adding that there was no need for that protest.
Engr. Anji stressed that the management of Bua Ports and Terminals had written to the NPA management on the deplorable state of berths 5, 6 and 7.
The Ports Managers, Rivers State Ports stated that the Bua Management sought to refurbish the berths to ensure safety of the berths.
He stressed that NPA had to close down berths 5, 6 and 7 in a bid to save the Nation’s image and to avert accident involving vessels that would berth.
The Port Harcourt Ports boss noted that this informed the closure of the berths.
He stressed that officials of the Dockworkers had visited him on the issue and he had told them this point, saying that they were supposed to properly inform their members and not to take such a step.
The manager blamed Bua for not keeping to concessioning agreement, noting that it was unsafe for vessels to berth at Bua Ports and Terminals until the situation improved.
“This decision is taken to sustain the Nation’s image and to avert accident at the berths, the decision is even in their interest,” he added.
He said NPA never caused any problem for Dockworkers, that they should try and understand the true position of the issue and stop blaiming NPA for their problem.
Engr. Anii said that out of the four berths at Bua Ports, berths had totally collapsed.
“Bua later wrote to the NPA headquarters that berths 5, 6 and 7 are no longer safe for operations, after Bua wrote about unsafe of berths 5, 6 and 7, the management has to close down the berths,” he said.
“Bua should have done the necessity to avoid such protest,” Anji noted.
