Maritime workers shut Intels over retrenchment of workers

Segun Oladipupo |

Workers of Association Maritime Service (AMS) are currently on showdown with management of Integrated Logistics Service (Intels) in Port Harcourt and Warri over the alleged inappropriate sack of its members.

The Maritime Workers’Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Wednesday said that the workers were shut out of the company on Tuesday, hence the strike action.

Prince Adewale Adeyanju, President General of Maritime Workers’Union of Nigeria (MWUN), said that Associate Maritime Service (AMS), subsidiary of Intels flouted the agreement it had with its principal when the workers were stacked recently.

Adeyanju said it had become necessary that the union support the workers in the fight for their welfare since Intels has refused to prevail on its subsidiary to implement the agreement it had with the union during their earlier negotiation.

“I think we should allow them to take their destinies in their hands because what we observed yesterday is that the management of Intel’s and OMS locked out more than 500 workers in Onne port and you know this matter has been lingering when they sacked them before.

“They recalled all the workers because negotiation was still ongoing but to our greatest surprise yesterday,they shut the gate against them

“They said enough is enough that this is their country and the union has given them backing.

“They started from Warri and the strike is ongoing as I am talking to you now. It is part of our obligation to protect the welfare of our members

“Intel’s is the principal employer and AMS is a subsidiary and if Intel’s has agreed in principle to pay the workers what is due to them , what stop them from directing their subsidiary from following the directive.

“They are asking us to go and negotiate with AMS which I think it is not in our practice because it is Intel’s that we know and that is the stand of the union