EXCLUSIVE: Hull Blyth Disassociates From 200,000 Minimum Wages Reached By SSACFEA, Workers

Last updated Oct 16, 2024

From Right: Secretary General of MWUN Comrade Felix Akingboye, President General MWUN,Comrade Adewale Adeyanju , Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Executive Secretary CEO Nigerian Shippers Council Barrister Pius Akutah and the Chairman, Boma Alabi SAN at the signing on Friday in Lagos

By Roland Ekama

Frontline shipping agent Messrs Hull-Blyth Nigeria Limited has distanced itself from the earlier agreement reached on minimum wage for workers in the shipping sub sector of the nation’s maritime industry.

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DAILYFOCUS NIGERIA gathered that Messrs Hull-Blyth announced that is not a member of the employers group and therefore not covered by the agreement reached between the Maritime Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Shipping, Shipping Agencies, Clearing and Forwarding Employers Association (SSACFEA).

It was also learnt that the shipping agent has been a member of the Shipping Association of Nigerian (SAN) which now metamorphosed
into SSACFEA.

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Our correspondent gathered that the industry minimum agreement signed by MWUN and SSACFEA sets a base line for fair and just condition of service for the shipping sector .

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Recall that the Shipping Agencies, Clearing, and Forwarding Employers Association have approved N200,000 minimum wage for their various employees.

The signing ceremony between SACFEA and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria was organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and with the support of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which is coming after 20 years of struggle.

Speaking during the document signing ceremony recently in Lagos, the President of SACFEA, Mrs Boma Alabi (SAN), noted that the new minimum conditions of service for workers under shipping places would be the highest in any industry across the nation.

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“The most significant thing is that in setting a minimum standard for the shipping industry, we have gone above and beyond any other industry in Nigeria. The national minimum wage is N70,000 and we know what it took to get the Federal Government to get to that point.

Also speaking, the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, admonished the workers at shipping agencies to increase their level of productivity and efficiency as a reward for the improved conditions agreed by their employers.

The President General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, conveyed the labour unions’ gratitude for the feat even as he assured higher performance of shipping workers.

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However , the MWUN is yet to respond on the development as national leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)affiliate body are currently participating at the ongoing ITF Congress in Marrakesh Morocco.