DEAD ON ARRIVAL: Maritime Unions Demand Withdrawal Of Lawmakers Port, Harbour Bill

Organised  labour workers under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) Maritime Branch on Monday, kicked against  the Port and Harbour Bill by  National Assembly.

It was gathered that the lawmakers in a clandestine move  are making frantic efforts to pass the bill into law.

Recall that the bill was initiated by the 8th National Assembly but was squashed from becoming law through the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians, stakeholders and the exerted efforts of the two unions – MWUN and SSASCGOC, who mutually and strongly affirmed their opposition towards it.

The  Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) affiliates from the  maritime sector  said the passage of the bill, which will cede harbour, jetty and terminal operations into private hands, will have far reaching grave consequences on the national security and economy.

Speaking at a  jointly press briefing in Lagos today, the President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, affirmed that the passage of the Port and Harbour Bill will lead not only to job loss but casualisation of workers and bastardisation of the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004 as amended.

Calling on all well-meaning Nigerians and port stakeholders to join the unions in the fight against the passage of the bill seeking to jeopardize the future of unborn Nigerians, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju said “…we hereby alert the general public to the renewed attempt by the National Assembly to sneak the Port and Harbour Bill into legislation through the back door.

“We wish to note that this said bill if allowed to be passed into law will have far reaching grave consequences on the security of the nation as it will cede harbour, jetty and terminal operations into private hands.

“We are therefore not surprised that the bill is being vigorously sponsored by certain unpatriotic individuals within the maritime sector, who are hell bent on appropriating our common wealth and cornering same into the lining of their individual pockets and that of their cronies.

“We would have thought that given our persistent cry and various notices pointing to the deplorable state of our various nation’s seaports, decrepit state of port access roads, collapsing quay aprons, and the general failure of infrastructure within our ports, the focus of this 10th National Assembly would have been to find solutions to the myriad of problems bedeviling our ports, terminals, jetties and oil and gas platforms and even the need to dredge all the ports particularly Calabar, Warri, Onne etc for increased efficiency, and not clandestinely and recklessly seeking to misappropriate public infrastructure through unfriendly legislation for the benefit of individuals whose only interest is capital accumulation and not the general public good of all.

 

“We are even further surprised that the sponsors of this bill outrightly ignored our demand to call the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in our sovereign territorial economic zones, who have snobbishly refused to obey our extant maritime regulations, standards and laws to order but, find it expedient to sit in the comfort of their hallowed chambers to push for laws that will be detrimental and inimical to the welfare and wellbeing of the working class, Nigerians and our nation’s security and sovereignty.

“The ‘Joint House Unions’, MWUN and SSASCGOC, use this medium to convey our belief to the Executive, National Assembly and the new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy that this is certainly not the right way to go as this ploy by these selfish individuals in the maritime sector will cause chaos and anarchy in the industry which has enjoyed sustained peace since the idea of projecting the harsh bill was killed in 2028 will not be allowed to come to fruition.”

Speaking in the same vein, the SSASCGOC President Comrade Akin Bodunde said the bill will render workers of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) jobless and endanger the productivity of other port users.

Bodunde said “we note that the bill as being proposed, if passed into law, will render the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) employees jobless and endanger the productivity of other port users.

“Even more sinister is the proposed idea of the bill to provide wholly employments that will not be pensionable as well as not transferable and without access to terminal benefits.

“This is the height of inconsideration by the proponents of the bill to the rights of workers to the necessary payment for services rendered by a worker, in accordance to the known law, industrial practice, equity and good conscience.

“It is our belief that allowing the bill to be passed into law will effectively institutionalize the evil concept of casualisation of workers and as well negate the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004 as amended. This is in direct contrast to the avowed promises of Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to ensure the provision of about 5 million jobs for Nigerians through the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

“Having said this, we, the two in-house unions in the maritime sector, will not fold our hands or rest on our oars and allow few unpatriotic Nigerians within the industry to rip-off the nation’s commonwealth and render our sector unproductive via this infamous bIll that will only create poverty, hopelessness, hunger and generate avid bitterness amongst the already impoverished workers and Nigerian citizens.

“On this note, the MWUN and SSASCGOC (Maritime Branch) unequivocally reject the bill seeking to repeal the Act that set up Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in its entirety.

“Consequently, we confirm our absolute vote of confidence on the Nigerians Ports Authority Act as it currently relates to the Nigerian state and wellbeing of the workers in the sector and we will vehemently resist all attempts to push this hellish bill further. We therefore demand for its withdrawal in its entirety.”