NLC frowns at unpaid pensions to aged seafarers

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has frowned at the unpaid pensions and other benefits to aged and disengaged employees of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL, after 29 years.

NLC president Joe Ajaero, who stated congress’s position on the matter in Lagos, said it was more worrisome that successive governments had refused to pay the legal entitlements of the former workers of NNSL despite a valid court order.

Ajaero was responding to the comments of the President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju.

He listed the issue of unpaid pensions and other benefits of the employees of the defunct national carrier as one of the unresolved industrial issues plaguing the sector during the Union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos.

Newspot recalls that President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government liquidated the NNSL in 1995, and since then, the battle for the payment of the benefits, including pensions of former including the disengaged staff, has been on despite a valid court judgment.

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Prince Adeyanju had informed the NLC President and other guests at the NEC meeting that the unpaid pensions of the aged seafarers which he inherited, had been a serious concern to the Union for 29 years, despite efforts by the previous leaderships of the union.

He lamented that many of the affected former employees had died and others were critically sick and needed money for medical treatment, but that successive governments had been foot-dragging on the payment.

Responding, the NLC President said it was unacceptable that for about 30 years people who spent their productive life serving the country have not been paid their legal benefits.

“We cannot accept it. We advise the Union to take a decision on it and the NLC will support your decision.

“This one does not require a notice from the government. The government has enough notice including the court judgement. Just resolve what you want to do and inform us. It is unacceptable for people who have served the country to be wrongly treated. We are behind you on any action you want to take. Like I said, it doesn’t need a notice or ultimatum from the government because it has enough notices.”