Strike looms at Seaports as IOCs defile Maritime Workers on enhanced wages

Abiola Seun

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has said the union would on July 3rd 2019 embark on total shutdown of the nation’s seaport over refusal of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay government appointed stevedoring contractors .

The union had two week ago issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to compel International Oil Companies (IOCs), to pay all outstanding bills to Dockworkers.

The two weeks ultimatum will expired on Friday, 28th June 2019.

But, in a letter addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation and a copy made available to our correspondent,the union said there is no evidence that the issue is being addressed.

The letter signed by the Secretary General, tagged Re: Two Weeks Notice to Prevail on the Management of International Oil Companies (IOCs) To Pay Government Appointed Stevedoring Contractors Stevedoring Charges That Accrue To Dockworker,” the union directed members to shut port on 3rd of July 2019.

The letter reads, “the two weeks notice issued on this subject elapsed on Friday, 28th June, 2019 and there is no evidence that the issue is being addressed.

“Consequently, the leadership of the union has directed that members of the union shall withdraw service through out the nation’s seaport effective from 06.00 hours Wednesday 3rd July 2019.”

However, speaking to newsmen, the President General of MWUN, Com. Adewale Adeyanju said the International Oil Companies (IOCs) have not shown any readiness to engage the union on the lingering issue.

According to him, they haven’t deemed it fit to engage the union or accede to their demands which he said would leads to total shutdown of the nations seaports from Wednesday.

“We have not heard from them (IOCs) and apart from the Ministry of Labour that called me to inform me about receiving our letter of ultimatum, the IOC are still adamant.

“We are not going on strike because and as organised labour, we need to follow the procedures that when we issue ultimatum for two weeks, we are to give grace of three day to know whether they will come and dialogue but with what we are seeing now, they are not ready to dialogue with us.”
He explained that evengthough the two week ultimatum has elapsed, the unión still deemed it fit to extend with three days.

“The two weeks has elapsed and we are supposed to start tomorrow but we need to follow the law so by Wednesday we ask our people to withdraw the services.”

It could be recalled that the, MWUN, had two weeks ago threatened to shutdown the seaports unless the the Federal Ministry of Transportation, within the next 14 days, prevail on the management of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay all outstanding bills of their members failure of which we will be compelled to withdraw services and shut down operations in all the nation’s sea ports.

The union, in a statement by its President-General and Secretary General, Prince Adewale Adeyanju and Felix Akingboye respectively said:

“We want to use this medium to intimate you and the Federal Government of the non-payment of the stevedoring wages to Dockworkers by International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria. We are aware that on June 1, 2018, the NPA appointed stevedoring contractors to provide stevedoring services at various off-shore jetties and on-shore locations to the International Oil Companies and other operators. It will be necessary to inform you that NPA had held several meetings with these operators to grant access to the government appointed stevedoring contractors, process their invoices and effect payment. Unfortunately, the operators have refused to comply with the NPA directive after one year that the stevedoring contractors were appointed.”

The union commended the Managing Director of Nigerian Port Authority for compeling the IOCs to engage the services of appointed stevedoring and registered dockworkers for their operations.

It added: “In fact, at a stakeholders’ meeting held on February 28, 2018, organised by the NPA to sensitise stakeholders i.e IOCs, jetty owners and terminal owners, that the NPA management appointed stevedores and registered dockworkers are empowered by law to solely handle discharged and loading operations at the ports, jetties and oil platforms.”

“Consequently, we are constrained to give the Ministry of Transportation that superintends the appointment of stevedores two weeks (14 days) to prevail on the management of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay all outstanding bills to our members, failure of which we will compelled to withdraw our services and shut down operations in all the nations sea ports,” the statement concluded