The unpaid pensions and other benefits to elderly and disengaged workers of the now-defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) after 29 years have been criticized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

NLC president Joe Ajaero, who presented Congress’s stance on the issue in Lagos, said it was more concerning that previous administrations had disregarded a legitimate court decision and failed to pay the former NNSL employees’ legal claims.

Ajaero was reacting to remarks made by Prince Adewale Adeyanju, the president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, or MWUN.

During the Union’s National Executive Council, or NEC, meeting,  in Lagos
he mentioned the unsolved industrial difficulties affecting the sector, including the underpaid pensions and other benefits of the workers of the now-defunct national airline.

The NNSL was liquidated by President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 1995. Despite a valid court ruling, the fight to pay benefits, including pensions for former employees, including disengaged staff, has continued ever since.

Despite the efforts of the past union leaderships, Prince Adeyanju told the NLC President and other attendees at the NEC meeting that the unpaid pensions of the elderly seafarers he inherited had been a major worry for the Union for 29 years.

He bemoaned the fact that several of the impacted former workers had passed away and that others were in dire need of medical attention, but that the payment had been delayed by succeeding administrations.

In response, the president of the NLC stated that it was intolerable that those who have served the nation for approximately 30 years had not received their due compensation.

“We can’t accept it. We recommend that the Union make a decision on the matter, and the NLC will back your choice.

“The government does not need to give notice for this one. The court ruling and adequate notification have been given to the government. Simply decide what you want to do and let us know. Unfair treatment of those who have served the nation is intolerable. We support you in anything you want to do. As I mentioned, it has adequate notifications and doesn’t require a government notice or ultimatum.