Reprieve has come the way of three seamen as a court has ordered a shipping company to pay their outstanding salaries totalling N24.5 million within seven days.
Justice Isaac Essien of the Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court on Tuesday ordered Delta Marine Shipping Company to pay the seamen whose names were given simply as Mr Akegor, Mr Lambert and Mr John the sum of N24.5 million unpaid salaries from April 2019 to June 2021 within the stipulated days.
The court also awarded costs of N1 million against Delta Marine Shipping Company.
According to available court documents, the three men instituted the action against the company seeking the payment of outstanding salaries earned while serving as seafarers onboard the vessel, pursuant to their respective contracts of employment.
They also submitted that they faithfully discharged their duties onboard the vessel but were not paid their salaries covering April 2019 to June 2021 despite repeated demands.
They told the court that they wrote letters of complaint and reminders to the Managing Director of the company and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) regarding the nonpayment of their salaries, all to no avail.
However, Delta Marine Shipping Company failed to enter an appearance or file any defence while it also failed to cross-examine the claimants’ sole witness, and the court consequently foreclosed its right to cross-examination and defence.
Delivering judgment, Justice Essien held that the evidence tendered by the three men, including their contracts of employment, seamen’s records, certificates of discharge, letters of complaint and the schedule of outstanding salaries remained unchallenged and uncontroverted.
The judge found that the evidence established that they were entitled to get their outstanding salaries from the company.
Justice Essien further held that the men discharged the burden of proof placed on them and were entitled to judgment for the outstanding say claimed for services rendered onboard the ship, MT. Favour, from April 2019 to June 2021.
