The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has concluded plans to organize a nationwide warning strike to shut down all seaports, jetties and oil platforms over International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Stevedoring Contractors’ refusal to comply with extant stevedoring laws.
MWUN made this known in a press statement, where the President General, Comrade Adeyanju Adewale, noted that the strike will commence on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024.
The union lamented that it had written series of letters, press releases, ultimatums, marine notices; given by NIMASA and several ministerial orders, over the lingering issue but all these were serially ignored by the management of NPA, the recent was dated June 13, 2023 with ref.no. MWUN/MD/NPA/SC/U/1.23 over duly signed communiques spanning over there years.
“The Union is using this medium to demand the total compliance of IOCs to the stevedoring regulations in line with the communiques signed by all the relevant stakeholders in the sector”
“NPA, as master stevedore and industry regulator, is wholly saddled with the responsibility of granting operational licences to stevedoring companies to provide stevedoring services for designated IOCs in Nigeria. NPA also has the enduring duty to use its oversight and regulatory authority to ensure respect for law and regulations in the dealings of the IOCs who make use of the services of the stevedoring companies; and by extension, members of Maritime Workers Union as employees of IOCs,” the statement read.
According to the Union, it is saddening that NPA has abdicated its responsibility by allowing the IOCs to run an unimaginable riot without control in the sector.
“As a responsible social partner and a Union which operates strictly in line with extant regulations, MWUN has since 2018 severally brought to the NPA’s attention the refusal of the IOCs to honour the provisions of the extant stevedoring regulations and the continued violation of the remittance of Union Cheque-off dues in line with the extant stevedoring regulations.
“MWUN will on the 9th Tuesday, 2024 shut down the seaports nationwide after the expiration of the three (3) work days already given to NPA commencing from the 4th of January, 2024”
This information was contained in a press statement signed by Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna, Head of Media, MWUN.
