AS directed by the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN, employees of shipping companies in all ports formations today began an indefinite strike over poor wages and alleged dehumanizing working conditions.
The industrial action is also taking place across all dry ports, jetties, terminals among others.
It was gathered that Dockworkers, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, workers and Seamen/Nigerian Inland Water Ways, NIWA and Water Transportation employees would join from tomorrow in solidarity should the shipping companies fail to address the workers’ grievances.
This came as the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, summoned a stakeholders’ meeting today in a desperate attempt to resolve the matter and ensure that the industrial crisis does not lead to a total shutdown of the nation’s ports.
At the strategic meeting of leaders of MWUN and officials of the Shipping branch of MWUN including plant officials of each shipping company weekend, it was agreed that irrespective of the meeting called by NSC, operations of all shipping companies must be shut from today until further notice.
Recall that at a briefing Thursday in Lagos, President General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju explained that the strike was due to poor remuneration of workers and the refusal of shipping companies operating in Nigeria to agree on a minimum standards for working conditions and remuneration of staff.
