SALARY ARREARS: Maritime Workers’ Threaten Service Withdrawal Over Unpaid CRFFN Staff

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) would embark on strike if the management of the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) refuses to settle the nine (9) months salary arrears to its employees, who are bonafide members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, President General of the group, Dr. Adewale Adeyanju, has warned.

Adeyanju threatened that the MWUN has resolved not to continue watching with folded arms the impunity of CRFFN being put on public show; hence, the Union has decided to bring this to public knowledge that should the Council continue to withhold the nine months salary arrears owed our members who are CRFFN employees, it will be forced to withdrawal members from all the sub sectors of the maritime industry.

According to a statement on Thursday made available to journalists by Head of Media MWUN, Comrade Kennedy John Ikemefuna, this is to educate the general public that as a responsible Union had gone through and exhausted all the necessary procedures of reaching amicable resolution of this matter including issuing various ultimatums, which have been defiantly ignored by the Ag. Registrar of CRFFN, disregarding all resolutions reached at several mediation and meetings.

The statement added that “The last was the one held in Abuja on Wednesday, the 18th of September, 2024; and a host of other infractions on the rights of our members ditto the payment of their wages.

Adeyanju lamented that the Council outright disregard for the resolutions reached, against the backdrop non payment of staffers will no longer be entertained by the union

“The Union is more dismayed over CRFFN the outright disregard to one of the resolutions reached, stating that going forward, payment of Staffers salaries should be of paramount attention first should funds be made available for the Regulatory body and there should be no diversion of such available fund into any other expenditure.

“But CRFFN went ahead to organize a “Kangaroo” training for some select staffers, leaving behind a humongous cache of unpaid salaries.

“It’s unfortunate that after the Union had extended a good hand of fellowship to engage and collaborate with the management of CRFFN under the purview of the Ag. Registrar, the CRFFN still went ahead to act contrary to the resolution reached with the Union against the wellbeing of our members, while trampling on the rights of our members to the gainful enjoyment of their earned salaries.

The MWUN has resolved not to continue watching with folded arms the impunity of CRFFN being put on public show; hence, the Union has decided to bring this to public knowledge that should the Council continue to withhold the nine months salary arrears owed our members who are CRFFN employees, the Nigerian Labour Congress affiliate Union will have no other option than to withdraw the total services of members in the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dock Labour, Shipping & Freight Forwarding Agencies, Seamen from all ports, jetties, terminals, and Oil & Gas platforms.

It further urged all authorities to take note ahead the looming strike.