Maritime workers shut nation’s ports, begin indefinite strike

Joy Obakeye

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has directed workers to withdraw their services, shut ports operations and begin a nationwide from today over unpaid wages to Dockworkers, among other issues.

Addressing officials and a cross-section of dockworkers at the Dockworkers’ Branch of MWUN, Lagos, they threatened that the industrial action would not be suspended until all outstanding payments for over a year were fully paid among other issues resolved.

Recall that MWUN had on June 11, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to compel the International Oil Companies, IOCs, to pay over a year outstanding wages to Dockworkers, among other issues or face nationwide industrial unrest.

In fact, the leaders of the union had since last week set up a strike coordinating committee and directed its officials in all ports formations nationwide to begin a massive mobilisation of members ahead of the planned strike.

Explaining why the union had resorted to industrial action, President-General of the union, Adewale Adeyanju, contended that non-payment of Government appointed stevedores/Dockworkers by the IOCs contravened Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Act 2007.

He lamented that several efforts made for the IOCs to see reason including the stakeholders meeting organised by the Nigerian Port Authority(NPA) fell on deaf ear, lamenting that while some of the affected Dockworkers had passed on prematurely due to economic hardship, those alive had been made to become destitute.

“As a responsible union, we cannot continue to fold our arm and watch our members die a premature death because of the nonchalant attitude of the IOCs management toward the welfare of our members.

In view of the foregoing we gave a 14 day ultimatum/notice to the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation to prevail on the IOCs to do the needful by paying our members.

“Ahead of the expiration of 14 days Ultimatum/ Notice, which elapsed on Friday, 28th June 2019, we issued a reminder letter dated 27th June 2019, informing the government that if at the close of work on Tuesday 2nd July 2019, (today) no evidence of payment is seen, our members shall withdraw service in all the Nation Seaports until all issues in the contention is resolved.

As we speak, there is no sign of payment, therefore, by 6.am tomorrow (today), our members in all port formations nationwide are to withdraw their services and begin a nationwide strike.”

It would be recalled that MWUN in a letter to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, dated June 27, 2019, signed by its Secretary-General, Felix Akingboye, among others lamented that at the expiration of the ultimatum, nothing was done to address the union’s demands.

According to the letter, “Consequently, the leadership of the union has directed that members of the union shall withdraw services throughout the nation’s seaports effective 0.600 hours (6 am) Wednesday, July 3rd 2019.”

The Union letter was copied among others, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), President, National Associations of Stevedoring Companies, Executive Director, Finance and Administration (NPA), terminal operators and shipping companies.

Earlier, the union had in the June 11 ultimatum, asked the Ministry of Transportation to within two weeks ensure the payment of the outstanding wages and address all other related issues, failing which the nation’s ports would be shut down.

MWUN in a statement by its President-General and Secretary-General, Prince Adewale Adeyanju and Felix Akingboye, said it could no longer watch while members die prematurely and suffer the humiliation of not being able to meet basic necessities such as house rent, school fees, medical bills among others.

The statement read in part: “We want to use this medium to intimate you and the Federal Government of the non-payment of the stevedoring wages to dockworkers by the International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Nigeria.

It is on record that on June 1, 2018, the NPA appointment stevedoring contractors to provide stevedoring contractors to provide stevedoring services at various off-shore jetties and on-shore locations to the International Oil Services and other operators.

It will be necessary to inform you that NPA had held several meetings with these operators to grant access to the government-appointed stevedoring contractors process their invoices and effect payment, unfortunately, the operators have refused to comply with the NPA directive after one year that the stevedoring contractors were appointed.

“We commend the managing director of Nigerian Port Authority for the NPA management has made to compel the IOCs to engage the services of appointed stevedoring and registered dockworkers in their stevedores and registered dockworkers in their stevedoring operators.

“In fact, at the stakeholders meeting held on February 28, 2018, organised by the NPA at Victoria Island, Lagos, to sensitise stakeholders’ i.e IOCs, Jetty Owners and Terminal Owners, that the NPA appointed stevedores and registered dockworkers are empowered by law to solely handle discharged and loading operations at the ports, jetties and oil platforms.

“The position of the operators on NPA directive is worrisome and very surprising because the same operators had processed and paid the former stevedoring contractors since 2010 through a foremost terminal operator. So, why are they refusing to cooperate with the newly appointed stevedoring contractors since the modus operandi remains the same?

“The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has been monitoring the chain of events on this matter since last one year, and noted that the implication of the operators’ defiant attitude amongst others is the untimely death of some dockworkers

while awaiting the payment of their wages, because they could not meet their family obligations like payment of house rent, children school fees and hospital bills, to mention but few. We can no longer continue to watch our members die prematurely because of defiant the attitude of the IOCs.

“Consequently, we are constrained to give the Ministry of Transportation that superintends the appointment of stevedores two weeks (14 days) to prevail on the management of the IOCs to pay all outstanding bills to our members, failing which we will be compelled to withdraw our services and shut down operations in all the Nations Sea Ports.”