MWUN berates SAN of allegedly stalling negotiations, misrepresentation in maritime Labour dispute

..Shipping companies decry planned action

UFOMBA UZUEGBU

As uncertainty trails the planned strike by members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN),initially billed to commence on Monday, October 30, 2023,to protest alleged unfair labour practices in the industry by the Shipping Lines Association of Nigeria ( SAN),verbal crossfire between the former and the latter, raged last week.

The planned strike over the anti- workers activities of employers in the maritime industry, was part of the actions the Union deemed fit to draw the attention of the ship owners over the plights of the workers in the sector as a result of alleged refusal of the employers to honour their Collective Agreement reached by both parties.

Recall that the Union  led by its President-General, Comrade  Adewale Adeyanju had issued a 7-day ultimatum to the Association which led to a heated exchange of words and accusations.  The union, in a statement, clarified that the 14-day ultimatum initially issued to the Federal Government regarding the minimum conditions of service on the maritime sector, was cancelled, owing to the  intervention of the former Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi who established a Technical Committee comprising members of MWUN, the SAN  and the Nigeria Shippers Council, to mediate in the matter. The 14-day ultimatum was subsequently shelved.

The union questioned the validity of a recent press statement attributed to Mrs Boma Alabi, claiming that shipping companies had been actively engaged in discussions with the MWUN,to improve the terms and conditions of their employees.

Addressing journalists on Friday, the Chairman of SAN, Mrs Boma Alabi said that shutting down shipping activities was inappropriate at this time.

Alabi advised members of MWUN,to shelve its planned protest as shutting down the seaports would not be in the interest of the nation.

A statement signed by the Head of Media,MWUN, Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna and made available to Daily Champion, insisted that the Union could not be faulted as was reported by Mrs Alabi, Chairman of Shipping Employers Association of Nigeria over the 7 – day ultimatum issued to the Association in the maritime sector last week.

“It’s very untrue, having read that the shipping companies have been engaging the Maritime Workers  Union on certain improvements to terms and conditions for its employees. If these assertion as was raised by Mrs Boma was true, why did the union issue out another 7-day warning notice in anticipation of an indefinite strike?.

” Its also unfounded when she said that a total of 15 meetings have been held with the Nigeria Shippers Council since April to September, 2023.This is another fabricated lie, as the meeting billed for October 30, was as a result of this recent ultimatum issued “,the statement added.

Continuing the statement further said :” If SAN was not lackadaisical over the NJIC matter which has dragged this long even with the constituted committee led by the Shippers Council which up till now, has not  scaled through; for the fact that the representatives of SAN have no mandate to take decisions each time the parties met. This has been the major factor why we are still stagnated over the matter”.