Maritime Workers Issue Seven-Day Strike Notice To FG, Threaten To Shut Port Operations

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has issued a seven-day
ultimatum to the Federal Government to compel the International Oil
Companies (IOCs) over refusal to allow Stevedoring companies and
Dockworkers into their operational areas as required by law in the
past eight years.

In a statement signed on Friday, President-General, and
Secretary-General of MWUN, Adeyanju Adewale and Felix Akingboye,
warned that if at the expiration of the ultimatum the Union’s
demand is not met, all ports operations nationwide would be shut
down until the demand are met.

The Union lamented the alleged silence of the Nigerian Ports
Authority (NPA), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
and ultimately the Federal Government to the non – compliance of
the IOCs to extant Stevedoring regulations and the
Marine/Government Notice No. 106 on Stevedoring regulations, 2014
issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency,
NIMASA.

“We wish to point out that the extant stevedoring/ marine notice
is the operational guidelines to all dock labour employers and
private operators of any work location including Ports, Jetties,
Onshore or Offshore Oil and Gas or bonded terminals, inland
container depots (ICDs), off-dock terminals, dry ports and
platforms. The law stipulates that government-appointed and NIMASA
registered stevedores and Dockworkers shall be allowed access by
the IOCs to the operational areas allocated to them by the NPA.

“We wish to further draw the public attention to the repressive
practice of the IOCs by denying our members (Dockworkers), access
to their operational areas and consequently, denying the
Dockworkers the opportunity to earn wages. To worsen the matter,
these IOCs have flooded the operational areas with
aliens/foreigners at the expense of local workers and in breach of
statutory regulations including the Local Content Act, NIMASA and
NPA acts that prescribe indigenising of the workforce.

“It will be recalled that this matter became worrisome in 2018
which forced the Union to declare a three-day national strike
before the intervention of Ministry of Transportation which
summoned a stakeholders’ meeting including the IOCs and the Union.
At the end, a communique was reached on how to address the
matter.

“It is regrettable that up till now, the content of the
communique has not been implemented. It is also very painful and
sad that the Federal Government and its agencies especially the
Ministry of Transportation and NPA, for the past four years have
failed to compel the IOCs to not only comply with the statutory
regulations, but to also comply with the communique reached at the
stakeholders’ meeting of 2018,” the statement read in part.

The workers said they have endured enough promises and the usual
government gimmicks of ‘we are looking at the matter’.

“After several deceptions and unfulfilled promises, we decided
to take our destiny in our hands. We believe that these IOCs have
somethings to hide which they do not want Nigerians to be aware of,
and this is especially bothersome in this era of increasing
insecurity across the country.

“We need to ask why the IOCs are afraid to allow registered and
approved Stevedores and Dockworkers access to their operational
areas as prescribed by the law. The Federal Government and our
members (Dockworkers) have lost huge sum of money both in revenue
and wages.

“In view of the continued denial of our members (Dockworkers)
employment opportunities by the IOCs at designated oil and gas
locations with its negative impact on the welfare of our members,
in addition to their continued disrespect for our laws, we are
constrained to issue a 7 -day ultimatum starting from today Friday
9th April 2021 to the Federal Government, the NNPC, NPA and NIMASA,
to as a matter of national interest, immediately compel the IOCs to
comply and obey the statutory regulations, and also implement the
communique earlier reached,” the statement added.

The group said further that failure of the Federal Government
and its agencies to compel the IOCs to comply with the rules on or
before the expiration of this seven- day ultimatum, the Union will
have no option than to shut down all forms of operations at the
ports, terminals, jetties and other cargo handling locations in the
country to press home their demands.

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has issued a seven-day
ultimatum to the Federal Government to compel the International Oil
Companies (IOCs) over refusal to allow Stevedoring companies and
Dockworkers into their operational areas as required by law in the
past eight years.

In a statement signed on Friday, President-General, and
Secretary-General of MWUN, Adeyanju Adewale and Felix Akingboye,
warned that if at the expiration of the ultimatum the Union’s
demand is not met, all ports operations nationwide would be shut
down until the demand are met.

The Union lamented the alleged silence of the Nigerian Ports
Authority (NPA), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
and ultimately the Federal Government to the non – compliance of
the IOCs to extant Stevedoring regulations and the
Marine/Government Notice No. 106 on Stevedoring regulations, 2014
issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency,
NIMASA.

“We wish to point out that the extant stevedoring/ marine notice
is the operational guidelines to all dock labour employers and
private operators of any work location including Ports, Jetties,
Onshore or Offshore Oil and Gas or bonded terminals, inland
container depots (ICDs), off-dock terminals, dry ports and
platforms. The law stipulates that government-appointed and NIMASA
registered stevedores and Dockworkers shall be allowed access by
the IOCs to the operational areas allocated to them by the NPA.

“We wish to further draw the public attention to the repressive
practice of the IOCs by denying our members (Dockworkers), access
to their operational areas and consequently, denying the
Dockworkers the opportunity to earn wages. To worsen the matter,
these IOCs have flooded the operational areas with
aliens/foreigners at the expense of local workers and in breach of
statutory regulations including the Local Content Act, NIMASA and
NPA acts that prescribe indigenising of the workforce.

“It will be recalled that this matter became worrisome in 2018
which forced the Union to declare a three-day national strike
before the intervention of Ministry of Transportation which
summoned a stakeholders’ meeting including the IOCs and the Union.
At the end, a communique was reached on how to address the
matter.

“It is regrettable that up till now, the content of the
communique has not been implemented. It is also very painful and
sad that the Federal Government and its agencies especially the
Ministry of Transportation and NPA, for the past four years have
failed to compel the IOCs to not only comply with the statutory
regulations, but to also comply with the communique reached at the
stakeholders’ meeting of 2018,” the statement read in part.

The workers said they have endured enough promises and the usual
government gimmicks of ‘we are looking at the matter’.

“After several deceptions and unfulfilled promises, we decided
to take our destiny in our hands. We believe that these IOCs have
somethings to hide which they do not want Nigerians to be aware of,
and this is especially bothersome in this era of increasing
insecurity across the country.

“We need to ask why the IOCs are afraid to allow registered and
approved Stevedores and Dockworkers access to their operational
areas as prescribed by the law. The Federal Government and our
members (Dockworkers) have lost huge sum of money both in revenue
and wages.

“In view of the continued denial of our members (Dockworkers)
employment opportunities by the IOCs at designated oil and gas
locations with its negative impact on the welfare of our members,
in addition to their continued disrespect for our laws, we are
constrained to issue a 7 -day ultimatum starting from today Friday
9th April 2021 to the Federal Government, the NNPC, NPA and NIMASA,
to as a matter of national interest, immediately compel the IOCs to
comply and obey the statutory regulations, and also implement the
communique earlier reached,” the statement added.

The group said further that failure of the Federal Government
and its agencies to compel the IOCs to comply with the rules on or
before the expiration of this seven- day ultimatum, the Union will
have no option than to shut down all forms of operations at the
ports, terminals, jetties and other cargo handling locations in the
country to press home their demands.