By Victor AhiumaYoung

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has petitioned the Federal Government through the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, decrying continued Federal Government’s refusal to pay the entitlements of former workers of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL.

In a petition by the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, he lamented that while some have died without receiving the benefits, those that are living live in penury and despair.

In the petition on his behalf by the Union’s head of Media, Johnkennedy Ikemefuna, lamented that the protracted issue ought to have been disposed off for long but government’s insensitivity to the plight of the aged seafarers.

The petition reads in part “It is on record that some Seafarers were disengaged from service in 1985. In 1995, there was another batch of Seafarers who were retrenched following the liquidation of the Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL). For more than a decade, the disengaged Seafarers were not paid their terminal benefits, gratuity, and pension.

“However, the retirees were compelled to approach the National Industrial Court (NIC) in 1991 and on March 15, 2001 praying the court to direct Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, the agency responsible for the welfare of Seafarers to pay their gratuity and pension.

“The Union had to conduct a verification exercise which prompted the payment of the gratuity, but the pension was withheld in spite of the subsisting court rulings and Union’s demand.

“In view of the foregoing, a committee comprising members from the Ministry of Transport and Labour, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), NIMASA and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria was constituted through the office of the Permanent Secretary and was midwifed by the Ministry of Labour to verify those Seafarers who are still legible for pension to propose modalities of payment. This is still in the process.

“Hence, we appeal to the Minister to prevail on the said committee to expedite action in this regard.”