Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has said that it will shut port operations nationwide and begin indefinite strike tomorrow, over lingering disputes with government.
Ahead of the commencement of the strike, the union had, weekend, notified Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and private terminal operators of the looming shut-down of all ports’ formations nationwide.
The strike would be to force government through the NPA to address the lingering issue of tally clerks/on-board security, minimum standard for dockworkers and NPA staff welfare matters, among others.
It was gathered that despite several ultimatums and agreements, the government had concluded plans to do away with the tally clerks/on-board security despite their importance to port operations and national security.
According to the union, the latest ultimatum to government to address the issues of the tally clerk/on-board security, among other pending issues, expired yesterday, (Monday, December 15) and had decided to put operators on notice so that they would not be caught unawares.
An officer of the union confided with journalists that the strike would commence Wednesday after the President-General and some other leaders of the union would have come back from a foreign trip.
In a letter to NPA by the union dated December 12 and signed by Mr. Edwin Sambo, Deputy Secretary General (Admin), entitled, “Notice to shut down the seaports,” the union wrote: “Please be informed that the Union will be forced to close down the nation’s seaports if the under- listed issues which are affecting our members are not addressed before Monday, December 15, 2014 – Tally Clerks/On-board Security, minimum standard for Dockworkers and NPA staff welfare matters.”
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