- Shipping Lines pay our contemporaries better in other nations – MWUN
The outcome of an ongoing meeting between Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), shipping lines, and management officials of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) will determine if maritime workers will proceed with their planned one-week strike action at Nigerian ports.
Comrade John Ikemefuna, Head of Media at MWUN, disclosed this during a chat with our correspondent today (Tuesday).
Meanwhile, the President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has accused shipping lines of paying maritime workers in other countries better than those in Nigeria.
Adeyanju revealed this during an exclusive chat with Maritime TV Africa at the weekend.
The union leader, argued that the group has become frustrated by the nonchalant disposition of shipping lines during negotiations brokered by Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
His words: “This prolonged problem has to do with the attitude of the employers (Shipping lines) in this country, they are not ready for proper services. We have people in other countries doing the same job and we know that their mode of operations in Nigeria is bad.”
“They keep telling us that they haven’t got the money to implement these terms, but how long are we going to wait. The former Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hon. Emmanuel Jime did a lot to prevent this strike by ensuring that we came together to have meetings and discuss but the body language of these employers show that they are not willing to bulge.”
Comrade Adeyanju maintained that what the Union is asking for shipping lines adherence to the minimum standards for workers.
He recalled that although a former Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Mua’zu Jaji Sambo directed NSC to midwife the minimum standards meeting with NIMASA and NPA drawn as witnesses, the dialogue process hasn’t yielded any results.
“The employers haven’t responded and we have informed the Ministry and other necessary authorities,” Adeyanju added.
However, the Association of Shipping Lines Agents (SAN) has advised the group to continue dialogue as shutting the ports will be inappropriate and lead to huge economic consequences.
SAN made this known in a recent press statement signed by its Chairman, Boma Alabi OON, with the group stressing that welfare of employees is a matter of utmost importance to its members.