MWUN/Shipping Coys: Shippers’ Council intervenes, calls feuding parties to meeting
MWUN/Shipping Coys: Shippers' Council intervenes, calls feuding parties to meeting
Segun Oladipupo
In view of the seven days ultimatum issued by the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to managements of Shipping companies in Nigeria, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called the duo to a roundtable discussion
Recall that the two warring parties have sat round the table for 15 times without being able to find a solution to the imbroglio.
At several fora, the President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has said that the welfare package for workers in shipping sector in Nigeria is likened to death sentence.
He maintained that staff who have worked for between 15 to 20 years cannot boast of substantial amount after serving the company for such a length of time in their lives.
On Wednesday, the union issued a release titled: MWUn to Resuscitate Strike Action in Shipping Sector.
Part of the release read, “The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) under the aegis of the President -General, Comrade (Prince) Adewale Adeyanju, fnli HFCPSP has directed that the initial suspended strike action be resuscitated by Monday the 30th of October, 2023.
“This directive is coming on the heels of the failure of the Shipping Employers representative towards the negotiation of the minimum standard condition of service (NJIC) for the shipping sector.
“It would be recalled that the former Honourable Minister of Transportation’s intervention necessitated the suspension of the indefinite strike action billed for Monday, 5th of June, 2023.
“The Minister also commissioned a constituted technical committee comprising of the Union and Shipping Employers to harmonize the Union’s demands after the three meetings held could not resolve the protracted Minimum Standard Condition of Service (NJIC) issue with the Union.
“It’s worthy to note also that when truce was almost in sight, the representatives of the Shipping Employers at the negotiation table began to develop lackadaisical attitude towards the entire exercise, which gave them away as lacking the mandate to take decisions; their cold feet on the matter subsequently led to the collapse of the negotiation.
“Flowing from the above, we as a Union have reiterated that the Shipping Branch of the Union will commence the suspended indefinite action through out the Nation’s port formations after the expiration of the renewed seven-day ultimatum issued.
“The other three branches of the Union, namely: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dockworkers, and the Seafarers will in solidarity join their colleagues in the strike action.”
In a phone conversation with our correspondent on Saturday, the PG said that the union has been invited to another round of meeting with the shipping lines agencies.
According to him, the outcome of the meeting would determine whether the strike action would continue or truncated.
