Big Story: Anger among stakeholders over seafarers’ new wages agreement 

When the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) on 20th of August 2019 signed a new conditions of service and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for Nigerian seafarers, the expectation of many industry stakeholders was that the seafarers would be excited because the ultimate aim of the agreement is to increase their wages and better their welfare.

The NJIC is a tripartite body consisting of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as the driver, the shipowners represented by their associations, and the seafarers represented by their unions.

The trio as well as representatives of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ministry of Transport and  Ministry of Labour, are expected to seat every two years and carry out a review of the seafarers remunerations and welfare in line with International Transport Federation (ITF) standards.
However, the last time the review was carried out in Nigeria was 2011.

Though several attempts were made by the unions to negotiate another review, the shipowners allegedly truncated the move as many of them were not ready to increase what they were paying their crew.

At the August 20th singing ceremony, apart from NIMASA, the seafarers were represented by the Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transporters Senior Staff Association (MNOWTSSA) and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) while the shipowners were represented by the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN)

Even though the content of the agreement was not made known to the public, no sooner had it been signed that  hell was let loose.

First, it was a faction of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) led by Alhaji Aminu Umar that dissociated itself from the CBA.

Aminu said the agreement was for maritime labour workers and dockworkers and not for seafarers as it is being reported.

He said “The first thing is that am not happy about is the fact that we were not part of the signing of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Secondly we had looked at the papers before and actually from what we saw at the papers it does not really concern seafarers as far as we are concerned because I think it is more of maritime labour workers who are dockworkers not seafarers”

“So we have already informed the people concerned in NIMASA that we do not think the agreement was for seafarers because we can see some clauses that do not work with seafarers at all”

“So I think the thing was meant for people who work in the terminal and not people that work on the ship. For example in one of the clauses, there is an issue relating to maternity leave and I know that before you go on board any vessel you have to go for medical checkup and I don’t think they can put you on a ship if you are pregnant”

“Secondly seafarers are on a contract basis, a four month contract, they are not on a permanent basis, so they can be working for company A,  for four months and after that they go on holiday and work for company B”

“So you cannot have any agreement with somebody that is only on contract basis I think the CBA is meant for terminal operators and we have already made our submission to NIMASA. And I think that was why most of us were not there like SOAN, NISA was not there during the signing we do not know what was there, that was our position.” He said.

Another body that have so far dissociated from the CBA is the Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria led by a Retired Navy, Capt Abel Ogah.

Secretary General of the association, Capt Alfred Oniye alleged that the seafarers were not represented or consulted in the process that led to the signing, hence the agreement is not implementable.

Capt Oniye said that the genuinely practicing seafarers in Nigeria are not happy about the CBA, adding that some of them numbering over 700 professional seafarers are already warming up to stage a protest against the agreement.

He argued that his association, Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria is purely for seafarers.

“Let me be sincere with you, some seafarers are already warming up because they are going to question that CBA”

Capt Oniye though agreed that a review of seafarers wages in Nigeria is long overdue. He however added that the CBA signed recently will only address some people’s selfish interest, and that it is not in seafarers interest.

“The CBA as signed is not going to change anything, I have looked into it, I have asked seafarers and what they kept saying is that they were not carried along to state their own position, I can tell you that 70% of the shipping companies will not dance to it”

The Merchant Seafarers Association scribe also made a case for shipping companies and ship owners operating in Nigeria, saying that the federal government has failed to create an enabling environment for them to thrive in their business.

He said that this has made it increasingly difficult for shipowners to make money and pay good wages to their seafarers.

He said “The reason why the Nigerian ship owners cannot pay the standard of ITF and ILO is because, when a foreign vessel is handling a contract locally, they pay him N100million, but when they give the same contract to our local vessel, they will reduce it to N10million, they should ask NIMASA, they are not helping the shipping companies and yet you expect them to pay”

However speaking with the Deputy Secretary General of the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA), Mr. John Okpono , who was at the signing, told our correspondent that the CBA was for Seafarers, adding that it is not possible for all the party to agree with the document, as there is no perfect document in the world.

In his words “ On the negotiations of terms and condition, i remembered this negotiation commenced in  November,  December 2016 and we thank God we have gotten something on the table I was part of the negation team to the extent of forming a subcommittee just for us to get it right and we thank God”

“The agreement is not the best, but we hope that subsequent review will be better in terms of the seafarers package”

“There is no perfect document in the whole world; it’s a tripartite negotiation which consists of Merchant Navy, Maritime Workers Union and the employers we were together for this negotiation, and negotiation is not a win win   exercise, this is a document that expires every two years, so we hope  by the next review any areas people are not satisfied with will be amended for better” he said.

President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju called for caution on the signed agreement, saying that the various associations should not truncate a move designed to ultimately better the lives of Nigerian seafarers.

Recall that the International Transport Federation (ITF) last year elected Comrade Adeyanju as chairman of its seafarers section for the African region.

Speaking with our correspondent, he advised the Capt Oniye led Merchant Seafarers Association to  harmonize herself with the Merchant Navy Senior Staff Association led by Eng Matthew Alalade, saying this is the only body recognized by maritime stakeholders.

He said that any body not recognized by law, such cannot seat on same table at NJIC to negotiate for seafarers, except the unions.

“Apart from MWUN, the only organ dully recognised is Merchant Navy Senior staff led by Eng Matthew Alalade, it is the one recognized by NIMASA, NPA, ITF, federal ministry of transportation and Ministry of Labour, if this so called associations are now speaking against what the government has done for seafarers, they are making a mistake”

He said the CBA agreement takes effect immediately it was signed and it is binding on all parties. He commended president of Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) Dr McGeoege Onyung for signing the agreement after years of foot dragging by shipowners.

In a chat with our correspondent, Nigerian maritime expert who was recently appointed as Deputy Registrar of ships by the Liberian Maritime Administration, Capt Tony Onaharigho commended the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside for making sure that all the interested parties appended  their signatures to the CBA.

He lamented that for a very long time Nigerian seafarers were being paid peanuts for the same job being done by Phillipinos for a higher price.

He warned however that the failure or success of implementation of the CBA lies solely on NIMASA. Onaharigho who is also the  President of Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) advised NIMASA to delist from its register, any shipowner that fails to implement the provisions of the CBA.

“I have surveyed several big tankers on our waters and most of them manned by phillipinos are being paid an average of $80 per day.
If you pay a Nigerian seafarer that amount of money, will he not be happy?
I want to commend DG NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside for agreeing to sign that agreement”

“Now if you ask me, after the signing, what next?
What next is that the power to compel any shipowner to adhere to rules and regulations of NIMASA, lies on NIMASA itself, because if you sign an agreement, you must monitor implementation, the NJIC couldn’t have signed it without NIMASA involvement, so NIMASA should be the driver of the implementation and ensure that any shipowner who refuses to comply with the provisions of the new CBA, his registration with the Nigerian flag should be withdrawn”

“I am a seaman and i know that our seafarers are being cheated.
I have worked with a vessel, Ocean escape, they were paying us in pound sterling and dollars, all through my time on that vessel, I was being paid as equal as other foreigners.
The problem has been that the country does not have a good union, I must however thank Eng. Matthew Alalade (President of Merchant Navy Senior Staff Association) he is my friend, I support them most of the time, so I am happy that the new agreement has been signed