The President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has assured dockworkers and seafarers that the biometric identity card would be ready as soon the COVID19 pandemic fizzles out.
Adeyanju gave the assurance over the weekend, while responding to some of the complaints by dockworkers during a working visit with top echelon of the union to some of terminals at the Lagos seaports.
The union boss also harped on the need for terminal operators to comply with international best practices by providing necessary working and safety kits in the face of the coronavirus pandemic in line with port operations.
Dockworkers had earlier complained to leaders of the union that lack of biometric cards, non access to medical care, non payment of compensation for deaths and accident are some of the challenges faced in the hands of the concessionaires.
Adeyanju who had embarked on sensitisation campaign tour to the two seaports for over a week , called on the port concessionaires to embark on safety compliance monitoring of their terminals and to also ensure that work ethics is not compromised.
The MWUN boss noted that agreed special hazardous daily payment to dock labour should be adhered to, promising that the union will engage the concessionaires and the regulatory agencies to resolve the challenges highlighted by the workers .
He assured the dockworkers that with the new director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) , issues bothering on biometric identity card would be resolved pointing out that the union will also open discussion with the terminal operators to embrace international best practices.
By Roland Ekama
