ANXIETY As MWUN Declares 6pm Tuesday To Shutdown Nationwide Port Operations

Apparently determined to shutdown seaport operations over non payment of monies owed stevedoring companies and dockworkers nationwide, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) ,has declared six pm Tuesday to shutdown operations across the nation.

Recall that the union had issued a two week ultimatum to the IOCs ,even as it also reminded the multinationals to fulfil their own bargaining at the weekend.

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who gave the directive on Tuesday during a brief meeting with all the four branches in Lagos , reiterated that the union will not go back on its actions except the International Oil Companies (IOCs) engage the union immediately before the 6pm deadline.

Comrade Adeyanju maintained that for over a year, the union and the IOCs were at loggerhead over the unpaid wages, pointing out that the multinationals had remained recalcitrant.

The union’s boss noted that “Enough is enough and the IOC need to respect the laws of the land because these people are denying us our rights by pay failing to pay our wages”.

He commended the Managing Director, of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over efforts made to engage the IOCs operating offshore and onshore in the nation’s territorial water but  maintained that the union could not fold its hand when things were not done the right way.

According to him, some of the workers have allegedly died due to failure on the part of the IOCs non-payment of the wages.

Also speaking ,the branch presidents of seafarers, NPA and Shipping who spoke at the meeting stressed that the union is a formidable body that cannot be pushed around.

They noted that there is no going back from 6pm Tuesday deadline as it commence the industry actions.

According to them, it has become necessary that all maritime workers show solidarity with the concerned branch in the fight because an injury to one is an injury to all.