Strike: Maritime Workers Shut Down Seaports

Abiola Seun, Olalekan Zion |

Economic activities were yesterday paralyzed at seaports nationwide as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), complied with the directive of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

Recall that the NLC had on Wednesday declared the 7-Day warning strike over the alleged delay of the Federal Government to implement the new minimum wage for workers.

The National Minimum Wage Committee was inaugurated November 2017 but commenced work March this year and drew timelines to deliver a new national minimum wage by August/September.

The NLC had demanded that the tripartite negotiating council should be called back to conclude its assignment on minimum wage.

But, speaking to journalists, the President General of MWUN, Com. Adewale Adeyanju said the maritime union has complied with the directive of the union by calling its members out for strike.

He said, “We are complying with the national leadership and there won’t be economic activities at the seaports throughout the warning strike.” he told our correspondent.

The MWUN is comprised of four branches which include the Dockworkers, NPA, shipping and Dox. However, the strike action would lead to congestion at the seaside as vessels will be stranded with no labour to discharge cargoes in it.

Also, it will paralyze customs activities that rely on dockworkers for examination of cargoes in the containers.

The leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders of the organised labour attended the meeting.

Sylvester Amaji, a clearing agent at the Apapa port disclosed that the customs server has been shut down with shipping companies not attending to customers.

He said, “The customs server in Apapa is shut down, maritime workers are not allowing agents to access the port and the port gate has been shut.

“Shipping companies have shut down their operation.” he said.

Findings by our correspondent further indicated that shipping companies, banks around Apapa were short down with only the Nigeria customs service officers allowed entrance into the ports.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) reportedly shut the gates against clearing agents seeking entrance into the ports to clear cargoes.

Speaking with our correspondent, Public Relations Officer of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Tin Can chapter, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeme said customs is ready to work but the stakeholders were not allowed entrance into the port by labour union.

“Though the customs CPC gate is open, they are also being careful to ensure that unscrupulous elements do not take advantage of the period to attack.

So there are a lot of checks and balances going on”.

“Inside the terminal, the terminal operators are ready to work, but no examination of containers can be done” he said.