BREAKING: MWUN To Embark On Industrial Unrest At Eastern Seaports Over Sack Of 500 Workers

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has directed members at the eastern ports to down tools from Monday, December 14, 2020, and begin an indefinite industrial action pending when Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) Nigeria Limited and Associated Maritime Services (AMS) Limited would withdraw the redundancy letters and guarantee resumption of negotiation

 

Recall that  management of INTELS and AMS last week again sacked over 500 workers who are members of the maritime union.

 

According to a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday and signed by Comrade Felix S. Akingboye Secretary General of the union , condemned the alleged attack on the workers by military personnel , even as he noted that some members were inflicted with various degrees of injuries.

 

He pointed out that some of the members are  presently in hospitals receiving treatment.

 

Akingboye stressed that as a law-abiding union, it cannot accept the illegal use of security operatives to deal with industrial relations issue where unarmed workers were brutalised, intimidated and harassed.

 

The union’s scribe called on the Federal Government to investigate the presence of armed security operatives  at a peaceful gathering of workers, thus sanction those who brought the security operatives that brutalised, intimidated and harassed members of union.

 

 

The statement added that” We wish to bring to public notice the increasing unfair labour practice and assault on our members in Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) Nigeria Limited and Associated Maritime Services (AMS) Limited.

 

 

“The height of the anti-labour practices by these two companies were the sack of over 500 of our members on December 4, 2020 in the midst of the Union’s negotiations with the companies over improved welfare and the conditions of service for workers – our members.

 

 

“In the course of the negotiations that started about a week earlier, the Union requested for a break to enable the Union hold its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Friday, 4 December 2020. To our greatest shock, while the Union was holding its NEC, the two companies issued redundancy letters to over 500 of our members.

 

“We wrote to the two management to withdraw the redundancy letters for us to resume negotiations in a peaceful and harmonious environment.  They did not only refuse, but follow up the redundancy letters by locking out our members on Monday December 7, 2020.

 

“To further worsen the situation, they unleashed armed security operatives including Soldiers and Policemen on the Union members and inflicted various degrees of injuries on our members. Some of them are at present in hospitals receiving treatment.

 

“As a law-abiding Union, we cannot accept the illegal use of security operatives to deal with Industrial Relations issue where unarmed workers are brutalised, intimidated and harassed.

 

“Consequently, the Union has directed its members in the Eastern Ports to down tools from Monday, December 14, 2020, and begin an indefinite industrial action pending when; The management of INTELS and AMS withdraw the redundancy letters to our members and guarantee resumption of negotiations , the Federal Government should investigate the presence of armed security operatives  at a peaceful gathering of workers, sanction those who brought the security operatives that brutalised, intimidated and harassed our members and a guarantee from the management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that security operatives will no longer be used to  deal with or settle industrial relations issues in the sector.”