Undermining that the Labour Industrial Court didn't sit on Thursday November 2, 2016 over the matter between the Agitating Dock Workers Forum and their employer: Energy Neftegas Limited (ENL) over the non-payment of salary for ten years, was postponed till Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Despite the transfer of Justice Amadi-the presiding judge of the case in Court 5- had a replacement of Justice Nwodo. J to resume sit on Monday November 6 and commence presiding in Court 6. However, hundreds of workers were in the street of Lagos to protest and demonstrate for their salaries to be paid after their disengagement since March 2016.
The assembled workers at Marina-CMS kick off the rally at exactly 7:30 am to Labour Industrial Court at Ikoyi, Lagos. All of them were dressed in white signifying they were non-violent demonstrators and protesters denied their ten years unpaid salary and other benefit. Key leaders of the struggle like Pastor Adams addressed the workers. He said. "this fight is significant and also victory is theirs". Fundamentally, he urge all the workers present to be focus.
Because of the intensity of the struggle and its bite fundamentally both then and now, a lot of the workers from different destination had to arrive earlier at Marina-CMS before the kick off time scheduled for 7:30am. In fact, those living as far as Badagry, Ikorodu ensured they were part of this historic day. Others who lived in Ajegunle that doesn't have transport fare decide to become hitch-hiker in order to participate. According to one Mr. Sunday Ade (a dock worker) who said: "I no wat mek dem tell me wetin hapul dat's why I say I must join dis protest from CMS to de court".
At the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) office situated in Marina, yards from the kick off ground. The victimized and disenfranchise workers in their echoed solidarity songs, stormed NPA with ENL/Agitating Dock Workers Forum and Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) banners respectively. Placards of their demands boldly written were displayed which caption sympathy from passer-by, commuters, workers etc in the busy road of CMS-Marina who watched them that chanted solidarity songs pulling the heaven beneath their feet. For two hours they marched through Marina to Obalende to the court. Passer-by especially in Obalende who saw the bold demands in the placards solidarize with the workers. According to sympathizers, they said the company should pay the protest workers their owned salaries. Politically, for majority of the dock workers who participated in the November 2 rally, it was historic for them undermining the court didn't sit to hear their case.
Arriving at the Industrial court premises after two hours of rally, Barrister Toluwani Adebiyi (the legal counsel) addressed them. He urged them to be steadfast and possibly use all genuine means to further politically expose the capitalist for enslaving labour in the Nigerian Port. Members of Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) affiliate of Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) also marched with the workers for two hours they were on the road. Fidel, a member of DSM equally addressed them too. He encouraged the dock workers to be steadfast and continue to seize this opportunity to press harder their demands. Thus, we in DSM, CDWR use this medium to urge the three labour centres: Nigerian Labour Congress, United Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to respectively come Thursday, November 28; to give their warm solidarize support to these workers who have been in this struggle for nineteenth months now.
For us in DSM, it will further boost and mount pressure on the capitalist -run company: ENL rated the top richest in Africa that are massively exploiting workers and refusing to pay their entitlement. Since the concession of the Nigerian port, the company have continually ripped workers apart by making billions upon billions of profit. Both past and present regime in Nigeria has remain deaf and dumb on this matter, they continue to protect the patent operation of this private company. To the pro-rich politicians, concessioning, privatization or commercialization of the port (which is public property) is a way forward to curb the acclaim looting and non-remittance of revenue to the Federal government. Whatever name they called it to be the engine to steam the port's revenue. It hasn't added a drop of water into the throat of workers. Realistically, what this concessionism has done is to add pain to workers in the dock industry. For example, the victimize workers who protested on Tuesday said "we no go tire to fight fo dem to release our moni. Madam don tu sufa us. Dis na time to fight. No going back"
Therefore, the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) joined the victimize dock workers that all ten years entitlement must be paid without a dime left in the bosses bank owed to workers. Also, for the Nigerian Port Authority to be nationalized under the democratic control and management of workers and the poor to end the ongoing human slavery in the dock industry since the privatization of it. Importantly, this is among the cogent demand of the dock workers against the failed policies of concessionism of the port carried out by the bourgeois politicians of All Peoples Congress, Peoples Democratic Party etc running defense for financial capital and investment of the profiteers. Read more
By
Fidel Davy
LIFEINSLUM PHOTOS
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