Maritime Workers’ union to declare state of emergency on shipping companies.

Having exhausted all avenues to engage shipping companies operating in Nigeria to review the subsisting industry condition of service, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) said it is constrained to declare state of emergency on them.

In a statement made available to our correspondent and signed by the Deputy Secretary-General, Organising, Abudu Eroje, the union said it had exhausted all legal and social means to get members of the Shippers Association of Nigeria (SAN) to a round table discussion.

Eroje added in the release, that the union had hoped to find a redress to the inhuman, deplorable and slavish conditions members are subjected to in their various work places.

The union added that the release was intended to inform the general public about the irresponsible attitude of the shipping lines saying that if the Shippers continued to ignore its call, it would have no option than to declare a state of emergency on the sub-sector.

“Having consistently ignored our myriad calls, Shippers Association of Nigeria and its members have conducted themselves in a manner which perpetually keeps our members in the Shipping Industry in penury and pain.

“In most cases they have been stagnated on one salary structure for over twenty years, worst wage structure, anti – union activities, burdensome tariff regimes etc.

“They have formed themselves into lodges above and impervious to our National Laws breaching every rule of industrial relations; thus, engendering a failure in our social partnership where existed at all.

“We have reported Shippers Association of Nigeria to the Nigeria Labour Congress – Our National Labour Centre, who had directed that in the interest of industrial peace in the Shipping Industry in Nigeria, albeit, Maritime Sector, that the SAN convene a meeting in the next twenty-one (21) days with representatives of the Union.

“Please note that in the event of SAN’s non – compliance, the Union will be constrained to declare a state of emergency in the Shipping sector – Nigeria.

Editing by ‘Biodun Soyele