Dockworkers assured of biometric ID card after covid-19 pandemic

Segun Oladipupo |

Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, President General of the Nigerian Maritime Workers’ Union (MWUN) has assured dockworkers and seafarers that the biometric identity card would be ready as soon the country gets over the covid-19 pandemic.

Adeyanju gave the assurance while responding to questions from the dock workers when he visited some terminals at Lagos sea port, recently.

The visit with top echelon of the union was to fathom some of the challenges faced by members of the union especially during the lockdown period.

Comrade Adeyanju also called on terminal operators to comply with international best practices by providing necessary working and safety kits for the workers especially as covid-19 is raging across the world.

Dockworkers had earlier complained to leaders of the union that lack of biometric cards, lack of access to medical care, non-payment of compensation for deaths and accident are some of the challenges faced with the concessionaires.

The MWUN boss who had been on sensitisation campaign tour of the two seaports for over a week, called on the port concessionaires to embark on safety compliance, monitoring of their terminals and to ensure that work ethics is not compromised.

The MWUN boss noted that agreed special hazardous daily payment to dock labour should be adhered to, promising that the union will engage the concessionaires and the regulatory agencies to resolve the challenges highlighted by the workers.

He assured the dockworkers that with the new director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), issues bothering on biometric identity card would be resolved pointing out that the union will also open discussion with the terminal operators to embrace international best practices.

Editing by ‘Biodun Soyele