MWUN Accuses Shipping Lines Over Poor Remuneration Of Workers, To Review Ultimatum After Election

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has again accused shipping companies operating in country over poor remuneration of workers welfare, even as it reaffirmed it commitment to review the ultimatum shortly after the elections in March .

 

President General of the union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju disclosed this on Tuesday , during a solidarity support by top officials from the Shipping Branch .

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the Shipping Branch  officially declared their support and endorsement for the reelection of Comrade Adewale Adeyanju at the national secretariat in Lagos.

 

The Branch officials also presented a symbolic ” Golden Staff of Office” in support of the incumbent reelection.

 

 

Adeyanju who assured members of the Branch of improved welfare packages soon, lamented that employers of labour under the shipping sub sector of the maritime industry are the least paid among the four branches of the MWUN adding that thing will change shortly after the election.

 

 

According to him, the next four years in office will emphasize  on consolidation.

 

 

While expressing dissatisfaction on the welfare packages of workers under the branch, Adeyanju pointed out that ” I may not be able to say this tomorrow but, a lot needs to be done in shipping and that  was why we declared a state of emergency in shipping earlier”

 

“My primary assignment after the election is to review all what we have done initially in shipping  branch and to make sure that we consolidate it.

 

“So that all the shipping workers will be happy as other branches are happy. And I need your support because some of the Human Resources Managers are not friendly with us . The foreigners will always want to use our people against us,”he noted.

 

Adeyanju who frowned at outsourcing of jobs in the shipping branch, reiterated that the union will work assiduously to abolish such from the port system , adding that it create job loss and poor remuneration of workers.

 

Determined to engage the shipping lines squarely  in tackling the anomalies within the sub sector; the President General, maintained that plans are afoot to show some level of solidarity for the multinationals to understand that all is not rosy as against the welfare of workers thus  all hands must be on deck to get it right after the elections.

 

Speaking earlier, President of the Branch, Comrade Ekpenyong Etim Ekpenyong said the branch is solidly behind the incumbent President General for another four years.

 

Ekpenyong stressed the need for government to create an enabling environment for shipping business to thrive.

 

 

 

Also speaking with newsmen on the sideline, National Treasurer and former President, Shipping Branch, Comrade Uche Igwe Onu said the symbol staff of office , presented to the PG as part the branch solidarity support for a second term, shows that ” We want to rekindle the service of responsibilities and to us it’s  called staff of office and when a staff of office is given  to somebody then it symbolises  role of authority.

 

“And that authority is to tell the person that he has more responsibilities going forward; More responsibilities to the union and shipping branch”

 

Igwe Onu said the PG deserves the second term and all hands must be on deck to support  him, saying the shipping branch has been supportive since his emergence as the union’s boss.

 

Recall that the union suspended the ultimatum issued to shipping companies last over year over intervention from the federal government through the Ministry of Transportation.

 

By Roland Ekama