Maritime workers shelve nationwide strike
Following intervention by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Monday, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has announced suspending its planned strike earlier fixed for Monday, June 5, nationwide.
MWUN agreed to suspend the industrial action for one month to allow dialogue by the NSC, which is the industry’s regulator.
The development comes on the heels of the ruling delivered by the National Industrial Court (NIJ), Monday, restraining the Organised Labour from embarking on a planned nationwide strike over the decision by the Federal Government to scrap the petrol subsidy regime.
Shippers’ Council mediated in the planned MWUN nationwide industrial action planned for Monday following breakdown of negotiations between the Union and the Shipping Companies/ Agencies & Freight Forwarders Employers Association (SCAFFEA) on minimum standard of condition of service in the shipping industry.
The meeting which held at the training room of Nigerian Shippers’ Council on Monday 5th June 2023, ended up in a tripartite agreement with signatory from the union leader, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shipper’s Council, Mr. Emmanuel Jime and Mr. Ascanio Russo, representing SCAFFEA.
The communiqué further stated that the Maritime Workers Union and Shipping Companies/Agencies and Freight Forwarders Employers Association expressed commitment for sincere negotiations on the Minimum Standard of Condition of Service in the Industry.
It further explained that all parties agreed to a timeline of one month starting from Monday 5th June 2023 to 4th July 2023 for completion of the negotiations.
The communiqué also stated that all parties agreed to establish an acceptable Minimum Standards on the Condition of Service in the Shipping Industry especially on gratuity, adding that based on the above, the Maritime Workers Union agreed to suspend the on-going industrial strike.
MWUN had, last Thursday, June 1 declared an industrial action with companies operating in the sector following a protracted dispute over working the union described as ‘modern-day slavery.’
The union subsequently directed all it members to shut down operations of shipping firms at the ports nationwide as part of an indefinite nationwide strike action, which they say will commence from Monday, June 5.
According to MWUN, members are to shut down operations of all shipping firms at the seaports across the country over issues bordering on welfare of workers.
At a briefing, Thursday, President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, lamented that since 2018, Organised Labour has been battling with shipping companies operating in the country over the minimum standard on welfare of workers, ‘but to no avail.’
According to Adeyanju, despite several ultimatums and interventions by the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, shipping companies, mostly multinationals, have refused to yield, adding, ‘the working conditions of the workers in the nation’s shipping industry were nothing short of modern-day slavery.’
Meanwhile, in another related development, the National Industrial Court (NIJ) in Abuja, Monday, also restrained the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on their planned nationwide industrial action slated to commence, Wednesday, June 7.
This is also as the an affiliate labour union in the maritime sector, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) shelved its nationwide strike planned to start, Monday, June 5.
While NLC and its sister labour group, the TUC had declared a nationwide industrial action in protest against the decision by the Federal Government of President Bola Tinubu to remove subsidy on imported premium motor spirit (PMS), the maritime workers had planned on nationwide strike over working conditions in the industry which they described as ‘modern-day slavery.’
NLC and TUC in their statements had condemned the unilateral action taken by the Tinubu in scrapping the petrol subsidy regime without consultation with relevant bodies and without palliatives in place to reduce the hardship which the decision would cause to Nigerian workers.
This is further as the TUC called for an increase in the minimum wage of workers as a way to ameliorate the hardship.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, during a briefing at Labour House, Abuja, Wednesday, May 31, said the congress would not accept an end to the unilateral decision to scrap petrol subsidy removal and subsequent fixing of the pump price of petrol by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
According to Ajaero, the fixing of price is not what government could do unilaterally, while he argued that the decision to announce a new pump price regime was further against the interest of social dialogue, even as he criticised the removal of petrol subsidy before any formal engagement with the organised labour ‘so as to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions.’
Earlier Tuesday, Ajaero, while first reacting to the subsidy removal, rejected Tinubu’s announcement, as he described the development as not well planned, saying Nigerians feel betrayed by the move.
“By his insensitive decision, President Tinubu on his inauguration day brought tears and sorrow to millions of Nigerians instead of hope. He equally devalued the quality of their lives by over 300 per cent and counting,” he said in a statement.
Also reacting, the TUC President, Festus Usifo argued that the President could not unilaterally take a decision on subsidy removal, saying there was a reason the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari pushed the ‘sensitive issue’ to the new government.
Meetings arranged between the Labour unions on one hand, with the NNPCL, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, have ended in deadlock as an agreement could not reached on the matter of subsidy removal.
Delivering judgement, Monday, Justice O.Y. Anuwe of the NIJ in Abuja, restrained NLC and TUC from embarking on the planned industrial action over government’s removal of petrol subsidy.
Federal Government obtained the order restraining the unions from embarking on any form of strike on Monday.
Ruling on an ex parte application filed before the court, the judge ordered the unions not to embark on their planned industrial action or strike of any nature pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated June 5, 2023.
The court also directed that the defendants be immediately served with the originating processes in the suit filed as it fixed June 19 for hearing.
