Despite the meeting between Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the leadership of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), maritime workers strike is set to continue at the AP Moller Terminal today.
The meeting between Shippers’ Council and MWUN to suspend the ongoing strike by dockworkers at APM Terminals Apapa ended in deadlock on Thursday as the union vowed to continue with the strike action until their demands are met.
Recall that the aggrieved dockworkers had on Wednesday embarked on strike, crippling business at the Lagos port in protest against poor salaries and retirement benefit as well as unfair treatment by the management of APM terminals.
The management of Shippers’ Council, led by its Executive Secretary, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, paid an advocacy visit to the MWUN headquarters where the Union’s President General, Com. Adewale Adeyanju lavished commendations on the Council for its various efforts in the maritime industry, but declined request to end the strike.
Adeyanju expressed disappointment in the attitude of AP Moller Terminal management specifically lamenting the “Hire & Fire” system which shows no regard for the workforce.
The MWUN President General also complained about the poor retirement package APMT gives its employees.
Also speaking at the meeting was District Chairman, APMT, Com. Tunde Balogun who spoke about APMT’s employment of foreign workers instead of Nigerians, demotion of staff in order to accommodate expatriates in higher positions of the organization and the employment of inexperienced workers to high positions in the organization.
He also bemoaned the discriminatory payment structure of the organization, even as he encouraged NSC to get APMT to change its unfair administration.
The NSC boss, Hon. Jime pledged to engage the management of APMT with a view to resolving the issues while he also pleaded with the President General of the MWUN for some more time in order to achieve these.
Although the response from the President General was that the Union would look into the request because he described Hon. Jime as an ambassador of peace, News Diet learnt that the management of APMT also met with the union yesterday evening but both parties could not reach an agreement.
Comrade Adeyanju maintained that the union would continue with the strike action until the outcome of another meeting with the terminal operator scheduled for Friday (today).