Breaking: MARITIME WORKERS SUSPEND 3-DAY STRIKE

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called off the three days service withdrawal it embarked upon on Wednesday in all ports across the nation.

The President General of the union, Comrade Abdulwaheed Adewale Adeyanju told our correspondent on phone that the Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries of Transportation, Labour and Employment had intervened in the matter.

In a press release jointly signed by the President General of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju and the Secretary General, Comrade Felix Charles, the Permanent Secretary promised to invite the management of International Oil Companies (IOCs), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other relevant agencies to a meeting over failure of the IOCs to pay the monies owed the Labour workers.

Adeyanju added that since the Permanent Secretary had intervened, the union decided to suspend the strike pending the outcome of the meeting.

Accoding to him, the decision to suspend the strike was taken at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union held on Friday in Lagos.

Recall that the union embarked on service withdrawal in all ports across the nation over alleged failure of the IOCs to pay up the wages owed stevedoring contractors.

The statement read, “We wish to thank you all for the solid support /solidarity given to the Union for the past few days we have embarked on a strike action against the management of the International Oil Companies (IOCS) who have taken delight in breaking Nigerian laws with impunity and also denied us (the Dockworkers) payment of Salaries/wages for the past one (1) year.

“We have noted with grave concern that some major stakeholders in the industry who are not in any way involved …are adversely affected in their operations.

“However, arising from the intervention of the Permanent Secretaries, Federal Ministries of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, some notable Stakeholders especially, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman and her management team …Managements of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Peterside Dakuku, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello and Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) Princess Vicky Haastrup, we have decided to suspend the strike action…,” it stated.