The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has presented the challenges confronting labour employees in the maritime industry to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola for immediate action.
This is even as the Union decried the lack of the Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) and
employment of junior workers in maritime government agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Nigerian Management Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Part of the challenges, according to the Union is the issue of International Oil Company (IoCs) continued denial of its members (Dockworkers) the opportunity to work and earn a meaningful living.
The Union made the Minister understand that the continuous denial of its members’ means of living by the IoCs is an invitation to crisis, which the fledgling economy can ill afford.
President General of MWUN in a statement e-signed by its Head of Media, Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna said that the IoCs have continued to refuse to obey Government Marine Notice 106 of 2014 and Extant Stevedoring Regulations.
Adeyanju maintained that the law stipulates that government-approved and NIMASA-registered stevedores/dockworkers shall be allowed by the IoCs to the operational areas allocated to them by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Adeyanju who also doubles as the 1st Deputy President, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), said it is regretted that the multinational oil companies operating in Nigeria have continued to exhibit flagrant disrespect and disobedience to Government Marine Notices and Extant Stevedoring Regulations.
However, he called for the engagement of on-board ship gangway men and tally clerks in port operations, saying that the general public had been misinformed of the relevance of these specialised workers.
While calling on the reinstatement of these categories of personnel and the pooling system, he pointed out that it’s also imperative to know that the presence of these aforementioned personnel in berthed vessels in the ports, jetties, and territorial waters is to checkmate unauthorized persons with inordinate intentions either as pirates, stow away, hard drug peddlers, or armed traffickers within the ports axis.
”It’s pertinent to see the presence, and visibility of NPA and NIMASA officials in all the Jetties and Terminals across the nation’s seaports, but suffice it to say that there’s no presence of the officials of Nigerian Ports Authority and NIMASA in most of the Jetties in the country; which makes it a reverse order.
“Therefore, this situation has led to a huge revenue loss to the government, while also contributing to national security risk; hence, we appeal to the Honourable Minister to urgently direct the deployment of both NPA and NIMASA personnel to these Jetties and Terminals where their presence is not in place,” he added.
He said that the challenges confronting the Union cannot be concluded if the dilapidated port terminal of the quay apron is not mentioned, adding that the chaotic state of the Calabar, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt and Lagos had been in a deplorable state and have since remained a disaster waiting to happen.
Adeyanju also affirmed that the deplorable roads in Onne and Port Harcourt should be seriously looked into as this very bad condition of the roads does not project the image of Nigeria in a good light in the comity of maritime nations.
On the dearth of junior workers in maritime government agencies, Adeyanju lamented that “On the employment of junior cadre employees in Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), NIWA & NIMASA. The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has noted with dismay for over two decades that the NPA, NIMASA and NIWA have not employed junior cadre employees but have consistently employed management personnel.
“We further observed that these agencies have been carrying out what may be termed coded employment. The Union is also making a passionate appeal in view of the observations mentioned to the Minister to direct “open” employment of junior cadre workers as this category of staff are fewer in the agencies as it stands today,” he said.
Source- Sun Newspaper.