Pool workers at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) area one Port Harcourt took to the streets last week in protest over alleged planned sack by the management.
No fewer than 1000 workers, mostly tally clerks and security men, alleged that the NPA and the National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Namasa) were about to scrap the pool unit.
Mr. Alfred Ngerima, the unit's chairman, said the protest was to call on government and other authorities to come to the aid of the workers.
"We do not see any reason why the pool unit should be scrapped, the tally clerks and security are still very relevant in maritime operations," he said.
Mr William Bwala, the principal Maritime and Labour Officer, who spoke for Namasa, said he was unaware of any planned scrapping of the pool unit.
"The matter is such a strange one to me, but I will urge you to be peaceful and law abiding in your protest, and I think that the government would not want people out of job" he said.
Bwala said the matter would be taken to relevant authorities for discussion and promised to feed them back with more information later.
Mr Waite Harry, the state chairman, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria Dock Workers, Port Harcourt district, said that the union would resist the move.
''I think it is illegal, inhuman and baseless, and I ask, who says that tally clerks and security men are no longer relevant in the system?" he said.
He called on the workers to continue with their jobs, saying that the union was behind them.
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