MWUN Boss talks tough; chides lieutenants for picketing NPA

Tayo Oladipupo

The President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has threatened to sack erring districts and units chairmen over Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with terminal operators.

Adeyanju who disclosed this on Wednesday during a meeting with members of dockworkers branch of the union, warned leaders at ports level not to connive or compromise with management of the concessionaires against the CBA otherwise their job will be at stake.

Reacting to Monday’s actions of some workers who picketed the corporate headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Marina, Lagos, over alleged delay in the payment of onboard security and tally clerks, the union boss called on members to exercise patience even as he assured that the agency would fulfil its promises in no distant time.

He attributed the delay of payment by management of NPA to the general elections adding that the conclusion of the verification exercise would lead to a meeting between the agency and the union.

He noted that the CBA is solely the responsibility of the terminal operators and union executive adding that there will be no delay this time around when elections are concluded.

He maintained that the stevedoring companies have no role in the new CBA reached with the terminal operators and federal government.

The union President maintained that the union is engaging the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) despite completion of the verification exercise held last December.

“We have reached out with all the terminal operators in Nigeria on the CBA and the agreement is quite clear on the members who work in the ports.

“I also warned the districts and units heads to enforce the CBA agreement from page one to the end because there is what we call in-house agreement , branch and national.

“And that is why I am giving that order to sanction any of them found wanting.

Some of them would hold the agreement letter in their hand but will choose not to implement it and that is why we said any district or unit chairman who connives or chooses not to enforce that agreement in the interest of the workers and the union, that person will be sanctioned.