Nigeria’s six major seaports remained opened and fully operation on Wednesday despite the protests embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over the hardship inflicted on Nigerians as a result of government policies especially the removal of fuel subsidy.
The protests led by NLC and TUC leaders held in Lagos, Abuja, Edo, Kano, Kaduna and other parts of the country.
However, all the nation’s seaports remained opened as port workers did not participate in the protests.
In Lagos, the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port Complex both in Apapa operated fully while those in Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne and Calabar also remained open.
At the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, port workers, port users and clearing agents were seen going about their normal daily grinds.
Some port workers who spoke with SHIPS & PORTS, they did not receive instructions from the leadership of their unions to down tools or participate in the labour union protests.
Meanwhile, the President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, joined other union leaders to protest at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa Ikeja.
There are strong indications that after holding a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja yesterday, the union leaders will end the protests today.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who gave indication of an early end to the workers’ protests while briefing journalists after the meeting with President Tinubu said, “It is pertinent to inform Nigerians that the extent of the success of the protest is underlined by the request of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu to meet with the leadership of the NLC and TUC in a closed-door session.
“The engagement was fruitful that immense mileage was gotten with regards to the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy removal and necessitated the protest viz:
“He committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement in line with the input of the Labour leaders. He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year. He pledged to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage Award for Nigerian workers immediately.
“He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week. On the strength of the President’s pledge and commitment, we have decided for a return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation.
“Once again, we thank Nigerians while we wait for the government to fulfill its own part of the understanding as agreed with His Excellency the President.”