Labour Issues Notice To Shut Down All Ports In Nigeria
Organised Labour in the Maritime industry has issued a 14-day strike notice to the Federal Government over the refusal of the International Oil Companies, IOCs, to obey Marine Notice 106 and extant Stevedoring regulations, among other grievances.
Under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, other grievances of organised labour include refusal to pay aged seafarers monthly pensions in spite of court ruling, refusal to restore registered onboard ship gangway security and Tally men (pooling system), absence of Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, in shipping sub-sector.
The grievances also are the refusal to issue Seafarers’ identity documents (SID) to seafarers, non-dredging of Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt ports and confusion over the expired contract of terminal operators.
The two weeks strike notice which takes effect from today, Monday, March 6, was issued to the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo and his Labour and Employment counterpart, Senator Chris Ngige when the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, paid a working visit to the National Secretariat of MWUN, Lagos.
The two weeks strike notice followed the directive by the NLC President after the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, had presented the Union’s challenges before the NLC national leadership team.
Responding, Ajaero directed the MWUN to issue a two-week ultimatum to the Ministry of Transportation and that of Labour and Employment, to restore the presence of on-board ship gangway men and tally Clerks, saying that it is statutory in port operations…………………………………CONTINUE READING
He also asked that MWUN in the letter should demand who should be in charge of regulating terminal operators and Shipping Companies in order to avoid double taxation.
According to Ajaero “The MWUN should articulate all these challenges to the Ministry of Transportation, give them two weeks ultimatum from now, nobody would accuse you of not being patient for the past two years
“As NLC President I don’t have any sympathy for anybody that is toying with the lives of workers. Let’s shut down the seaport so that the ministries concerned will do their work.
“I don’t see why you should do a letter to the Minister of Transportation since August 4, 2021, on the need to pay aged seafarers’ pension and they are yet to do so despite a court ruling.
“If it is possible to give them 14 days ultimatum from Monday, March 5, 2023, so that they can act fast on the matter because nobody should toy with the issue of workers, then do so. NLC is ready to give you solidarity action until they obey the agreement.
“They have acted illegally and they don’t expect somebody to act legally with them. Every illegal action requires an illegal action. What the law requires is for you to give them adequate notice which you have done.”
Earlier, while highlighting major challenges confronting the maritime workers, Adeyanju recalled that no fewer than 13,000 jobs were lost during the port concession of 2006.
He said “Terminal Operators by now should have renewed their concession agreement, but recently we heard the Minister of Transportation challenging Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, of not giving Shippers Council a chance to be part of the review
“Multiple regulatory agencies coming up, where is the fate of workers of NPA and other workers in the sector. The government should come out and tell us who is in charge of the terminal operators, is it the Shippers Council, NPA or NIMASA
“However, we believe the NPA is the agency that regulates the terminal operators, but now that government is bringing in the Shippers Council, we are worried and NPA workers are equally worried about what should be their fate.”
On the issue of the onboard gangway, he said “The presence of onboard ship gangway men and tally clerks in port operation is statutory. This is supported by the dock labour rule of 1967; the National dock labour board established by decree No. 13 of 1979, the Maritime Labour Act, 2003, part ix, this position is further supported by the NIMASA Act, Part VII-Maritime labour.
“On this note, MWUN had earlier forwarded a letter dated 5″ August 2021 to the Minister of Transportation to demand the restoration of the Pool system for registered on board gangway security men and tally men.”
