BREAKING: Maritime Workers Union Issues 7-Day Ultimatum To Bollore, TICT Over Alleged Acquisition Process

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has issued a seven day ultimatum to Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) and Cyrille Bollore over demands to know the fate of members under their employs.

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, disclosed this on Tuesday during a meeting with the dockworkers in Lagos, urging members not to be used against themselves over the rumour of acquisition of the shipping company and terminal operator.

 

Adeyanju called on the conglomerates to come out clean and explain the true pictures of the alleged  acquisition plans of the two companies in furtherance for members in shipping and dockworkers branches to understand the next line of actions.

 

The union boss further threatened also that at the expiration of the seven days ultimatum, it will be forced to withdraw services from port operations.

 

He maintained that the leadership of the union is ready to fight and get to the bottom on the issues of acquisition plans from yet unknown company.

 

However, Adeyanju allayed fears of members from the shipping and dockworkers branches of the union noting that the MWUN will continue to engage the operators to know the organisation involved in the acquisition.

 

Apparently insatisfied with the lack of feedback from the companies involved,  President General reiterated that the union might be forced to down tools after the seven days notices,  pointing out that despite the earlier letter on the sensitive issues , management of the two organizations declined to respond.

 

The statement written to the companies with headline: RE: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CYRILLE BOLLORE, DEMAND TO KNOW THE FATE PF OUR MEMBERS was first written on the 14 of September 2022 without response from the companies involved.

 

According to a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday and signed by Oniha Erazua, on behalf of the Secretary General of MWUN, dated 14th November 2022, stated that ” On the  strength of the above and given the increasing restiveness of our members in the employ, I am directed to give you notice of a seven day ultimatum starting from the date of this letter within which your management is expected to furnish us with the information requested.

“Please note that the union would take all necessary redemptive means to protect the interest of our members, including withdrawing our services at the expiration of this ultimatum.”, the letters written to both Bollore and TICT explained.

Earlier, President of the branch Comrade Ibrahim Tajudeen Ohize reassured members of the union to remain calm as the national body was ready to get to the bottom of the matter.

DAILY FOCUS Nigeria gathered unverified though that MSC shipping are in strong contention to acquire the two companies .

 

By Roland Ekama