3, 000 Nigerdock workers protest exploitation, poor safety standard

The increasing level of contract-based employment, devoid of strong labour law protection, sparked protests involving thousands of Niger Dock workers over unpaid wages, poor condition of service and breach of contract.

Precisely, about 3, 000 contract workers of the Nigerdock, Snake Island was said to have embarked on a peaceful protest, where they complained to the management of the company’s series of unfair sacking and delayed salaries.

 

Daily Sun findings showed that the protest, however, continued the next morning, 7th of September, when the management invited the police who came to teargas the workers who dispersed as no one could stand the threat of the police men who were armed to the teeth.

Meanwhile, an affected worker who spoke to Daily Sun on condition of anonymity, lamented that Niger Dock dorminated mainly by expatriates on the management, took advantage of Nigerian weak labour law to exploit workers.

 

He said that the workers were deceived by the agreements entered, while lamenting that as a result of poor safety measures against fluxcore welding had led to the death or paralysis of some workers.

However, in a letter of complaint sent to the Presidency and made available to Daily Sun, the Nigerdock work force alleged that management is adopting the divide and rule strategy to avoid keeping to an settlement agreement reached with them on September 10, 2015.

 

The letter from the work force listed a 13-point demand of salary/wage increment, quarterly 15per cent bonus, load out bonus, medical care for workers and their families, 30 days annual leave, employer/employee contractual agreement amongts others.

According to a representative of the work force of over 3, 000, Aigbe Patrick who visited the Daily Sun in company of Christopher Igbegbe, the conditions of service at the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone has remained the same for over 10 years despite agitations by workers.

 

“Our conditions of service has not improved for over 10 years and the workers are not happy. We suffer excessive taxation without receipt or any tax clearance to show for it. We don’t have medical facilities and there is no severance pay. We had a meeting with management on September 17 with the Police Area Commander present as witness but by September 28, 2015, they had defaulted on the agreement hence this letter. Government should please intervene in this situation to save Nigerdock.”

 

Reacting to the claims, the Head of Corporate Affairs of Nigerdock, Olaseni Ashiru, who spoke to Daily Sun refuted the claim that 3000 workers were involved, saying that they do not have 3, 000 disaffected workers rather only 200.

On safety standard, Ashiru said that the management provided quality personal protective equipment to ensure that their life is not at risk and also refuted the claim of excess tax imposed on the workers.

He confirmed to Daily Sun that the disaffected workers have been disengaged of their services.

 

He argued that the company had never owe salaries, every benefit agreed upon was provided to the aggrieved  workers, who now disrupt its operation and posed as a threat to the lives of other staff.

Speaking on the casualisation and structure of the workforce, Ashiru explained, “We realized this was the business we are in and for sustainability, it would make no sense to hire people who we couldn’t continue to pay once the business declines so, over time, as the organization evolved, we decided to get an external service provider, a man- power organization which is called Prime Services. When we need staff, they help us engage the staff and they engage them on certain terms and conditions. 

 

These staff is engaged specifically for a project. When the project ends, the engagement comes to an end. This is how our workforce is composed. So there are core groups in Niger Dock which are the minority staff while some are the majority staff who were engaged through Prime Services.”