FG, MWUN Resolve Industrial  Action,  As NPA Commends Union For Shelving Proposed Strike

In line with the suspended strike, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) said it has entered strategic agreement with the federal government on how best to resolve the bottlenecks confronting the sector.

 

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju disclosed this on Wednesday , in  Lagos during a chat with newsmen on the outcome of the meeting between the union and management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

 

Adeyanju reiterated that from the communique reached by both parties , the union’s demands  would be met on or before the end of first quarter 2021.

 

The President General maintained that the union executives were convinced by the explanation given by management of NPA led by Hadiza Bala Usman to address critical issues raised at the meeting .

 

According to him, management of NPA appealed to union on the need to hold government accountable, saying “She (Usman) said from January 2021 all that we are demanding will be a thing of the past .”

 

Adeyanju also disclosed that the government has acquired 13 acres of land in Lagos where haulage trucks would use as parking lot in a bid to decongest the port corridors .

 

Though, he noted that the union was not carried along in the proposed  e-Call up system but maintained that the maritime workers union will support any process that can boost port operations.

 

“The union will support the idea of introducing e-Call up system to port operations as far it will bring about sanity and understanding between all the stakeholders in the industry than I think it is better for us.”

 

 

 

Meanwhile management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has commended members of the MWUN for shelving their proposed three-day warning strike scheduled to start on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.

 

 

The withdrawal of the strike followed several hours of deliberations between the Union and the Management on Tuesday December 8, 2020.

 

In the course of the meeting, Management of the Authority assured members of the union and other stakeholders that the problem of congestion and rent seeking on access roads to the ports will soon become history with the scheduled deployment of an electronic-call up system for trucks in January 2021.

 

 

According to the communique made available to our correspondent on Wednesday in Lagos and signed by the President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju and Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mohammed Bello  Koko on behalf of the Managing Director NPA; management also reaffirmed its commitment to work with the Lagos State Government in a bid to provide truck holding bays as part of the implementation of the e-call up system.

 

In the interim, management has said it has  liaised with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for the immediate commencement of remedial works on failed portions of the port access road.

 

Also ,NPA said it will also partner with the Lagos State Government to deploy law enforcement officers for the maintenance of sanity along the Port Logistic Ring.

 

 

Management reiterated the directive to all shipping companies to ensure that the size of their respective empty container holding bay should commensurate with the volume of containers they bring into the ports, in line with NPA policy on empty containers, adding that failure to adhere to this will attract sanctions.

 

 

“Shipping companies are to be responsible for the movement of empty containers from their holding bays to the Port. Consignees are to drop empty boxes at the designated empty container holding bays.

 

“Failure of shipping companies to remove empty containers at the holding bay will attract sanctions

 

“Management therefore calls on all stakeholders and Port users to go about their businesses as ports operations will continue unhindered,”the communique explained.

 

 

By Roland Ekama