Maritime workers union suspends strike

Comrade Adewale Adeyanju
MWUN President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju. PHOTO: SHIPS & PORTS archive

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has suspended its three-day national strike following intervention by the Federal Government and stakeholders in the industry.

The union had embarked on the warning strike on Wednesday over unpaid wages to dockworkers by international oil companies (IOCs).

The President-General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, who announced the suspension in a statement made available to SHIPS & PORTS in Lagos on Friday, said the union decided to suspend the strike action pending the outcome of a meeting scheduled to take place next week between the management of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the IOCs and the leadership of the union.

The statement signed by Adeyanju and General Secretary, Felix Akingboye, expressed regret over the adverse effect the industrial action had on stakeholders who are not part of the problems that led to the strike.

“We have noted with grave concern that some major stakeholders in the industry who are not in any way involved on why the union embarked on the strike action are adversely affected in their operations.

“However, arising from the intervention of the Permanent Secretaries, Federal Ministries of Transportation and Labour & Employment, some notable stakeholders especially the Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman and her management team, whose two weeks ultimatum to the IOCs on the same issue expires on Monday 8th July, 2019, to recognise the government appointed stevedores and pay the dockworkers their outstanding wages, the management of NIMASA, Shippers’ Council, Seaport Terminal Association of Nigeria (STOAN), we have decided to suspend the strike action pending the outcome of a meeting scheduled to take place next week between the management of NPA, NIMASA , Shippers’ Council, NNPC, the IOCs and the leadership of the maritime workers union.

“We also use this opportunity to thank our sister unions namely, COMTUA, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) National Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and all members of the maritime workers union of Nigeria for their support while the action lasted,” the statement said.