MWUN commences total  strike  at Eastern Ports  over maltreatment of members

The Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) has down tools at the eastern ports owing to the sack and alleged assault melted out to  over 500 of its members working at the Integrated Logistics Limited (INTELS) and  Associated Maritime Service (AMS) limited.

The Union stated that the two companies did not only sack its members but also maltreated them as many of the workers were beaten by security operatives attached to the two companies, while stating that many of these workers are in the hospital receiving treatment.

According to the press release issued by the Union yesterday and signed by the Secretary General, Com. Felix Akingboye, the Union described the sack of the workers as the height of the anti-labour practices by these two companies .

The Union explained that the two companies sacked the workers on  Friday December 4th 2020 in the midst of negotiations with the two companies over improved welfare and the condition of service of the workers.

The union lamented that rather for the companies to abide with the plans, the companies instead issued sack letters to the workers while the union was having its National Executive Council meeting on Friday December 4th 2020,

“We wrote to the two managements to withdraw the redundancy letters for us to resume negotiations in a peaceful and harmonious environment. They did not only refuse, but follow up the redundancy letters by locking out our members on Monday December 7, 2020

“To further worsen the situation, they unleashed armed security operatives, including Soldiers and Policemen on the Union members and inflicted various degrees of injuries on our members.

The union further said it has directed its members to commence strike from today Monday, December 14, 2020 pending when INTELS and AMS will withdraw the redundancy letters while calling on the Federal government to investigate the use of arms and security operatives at a peaceful gathering of workers.

“As a law-abiding union, we cannot accept the illegal use of security operatives to deal with industrial relations issue where unarmed workers are brutalised, intimidated and harassed.

“Consequently, the Union has directed its members in the Eastern Ports to down tools from Monday, December 14, 2020, and begin an indefinite industrial action pending when the management of INTELS and AMS withdraw the redundancy letters to our members and guarantee resumption of negotiations.

“The Federal Government  should investigate the presence of armed security operatives at a peaceful gathering of workers, sanction those who brought the security operatives that brutalised, intimidated and harassed our members and a guarantee from the management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that security operatives will no longer be used to deal with or settle industrial related issues in the sector” he stated