Dockworkers’ salaries increased by 2,000% in 17 years- STOAN

The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), has said that dockworkers who work at the nation’s seaports have had their take-home pay increased by over 2,000 percent since the Federal Government introduced the port reform in 2006.

The Chairman of STOAN, Vicky Haastrup, said this on Thursday in Apapa during the maiden edition of Dockworkers Day organised by the Shipping Correspondent Association of Nigeria with the theme, ‘Dockworkers, the Unsung Heroes of Port Reforms.’

IHaastrup said that before the ports were concessioned, dockworkers were poorly paid with no condition of service.

She said that the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and terminal operators has ensured industrial harmony.

Speaking, she said, “Today, the average take-home pay of a dockworker has increased by more than 2,000 percent over what it was in 2006.

“The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the union and terminal operators has also ensured industrial harmony at the port.

“Before the concession, dockworkers were poorly paid. They did not have conditions of service. Indeed they did not have identifiable employers. Their safety, in the course of performing their duties, was not taken to heart. They were exploited, dehumanized, and underpaid. They were paid between N2,000 to N4,000 then.”

Haastrup who is also the Executive Vice Chairman, of ENL Consortium, thanked the Federal Government for the 2006 port concession.

Also speaking, President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju congratulated SCAN for putting together the eventful programme to celebrate dockworkers.

He, however, lamented the non renewal of expired lease of some terminals in the ports, saying the objective of the reform was to increase the ports efficiency and eliminate overlap between NPA as a technical regulator and other agencies.

“The Federal Government posited that the objectives of the reform include: to increase the efficiency of the ports operation and elimination of overlapping between Nigerian Ports Authority as a technical regulator and other agencies.

“The Ports were delineated in 2006 to 25 Terminal operators with lease agreements ranging between 10 to 25years. Until now, the agreements have not been renewed because of inter-agency rivalries and the culprits are the unsung heroes: the dockworkers, it is said that when two elephants fight the grass suffers.

“I want to congratulate SCAN for putting together this eventful programme to celebrate our own: the veterans and our unsung heroes still on duty,” Adeyanju stated.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Emmanuel Jime also highlighted the critical role of dockworkers in the nation’s economy just as he thanked SCAN for organising the program.

“Dockworkers are truly unsung heroes. How will any port function without them. This is so deserving for those who make the port to run.

“We are in solidarity and offer our partnership, friendship to move our country to the next level,” he said.

In his keynote address, the Registrar, Port & Terminal Management Academy Of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Babatunde said the port reform has increased efficiency at the port to 85 percent while theft has reduced to 15 percent.

“No doubt, the ports have benefited from the private sector experience of ability to fix things right. In likewise manner, dockworkers have strategically assisted in the actualization of the desires of port reforms in the following ways:

“The degree of theft in our seaports has reduced drastically from recorded 55% now to 15% under the port reforms; the degree of port efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness has improved tremendously from previous figure of 25% now to 85 percent; the degree of cargo handling in all the seaports has equally take a tune under the port reforms from less than 25% now to as much as 75%; the degree of dwelling time of cargoes in the port has shifted from more than 3weeks to less than 1 week under port reforms.

“The rate of port workers accident has reduced drastically from 55% before reforms, now to less than 13%.
The degree of port dockworkers welfare packages in terms of remuneration, allowances and other privileges has increase and improved from lower to higher, making dockworkers a reasonable career; and the degree of dockworkers training. Capacity and Certification has equally improved as terminal operators now invest heavily in Human Capital Development and Sustainability. In addition, Dockworkers can earn better qualifications,” Samuel Babatunde stated.

Earlier, the President of SCAN, Eugene Agha, said that the role of dockworkers cannot be over-emphasised with the yearly global seaborne trade estimated at N33.2trillion.

“The global seaborne trade boasts an estimated yearly N33.2tn. With Nigeria as a maritime country, and its ports gateways to both regional and global trade, driving economic growth and fostering international cooperation, the role of dockworkers cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.

He added that the roles of dockworkers were glaring especially during Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlights of the event was the presentation of awards to some distinguished individuals, dockworkers and organisations that have contributed to the welfare of dockworkers.

They include Princess Haastrup; Comrade Adeyanju; Pioneer President of the defunct Dockworkers Union of Nigeria, Chief Joshua Ogunleye; the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hon. Emmanuel Jime; former President of MWUN, Comrade Anthony Nted and Nigeria’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa.