President dockworkers branch of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju in this interview with Shipping Position Daily talked about his achievements in his two terms in office as leader of the branch. He told our correspondent; Roland Ekama what led to the recent crisis at ENL terminal penultimate week and other sundry issues.
What led to the protest that was embarked upon by workers at ENL terminal recently?
What actually led to that protest at ENL was enormous; one is the issue of employment letter, where the casual workers all over the country say they have not been given their terminal benefit because there is need for them to get such incentives. But as we speak today, the dockworkers in the ports have got conditions of service and that terminal benefits that led to that same protest we talked about. Unlike what was obtainable before; the moment you retire, you will go home with nothing. There used to be no benefit for the workers in the past, but this time around it’s no longer there, rather there is something for anyone who retires after service. There is a scheme that will work out your pension, and also work out your terminal benefit. There is nothing we do in this union that we don’t carry everybody along; we carry everybody along and I am proud to say we are very close to every one of them. The bone of contention at ENL was simply because of misinformation and with what we have done since on Monday when it started, everything has been cleared and resolved. Although the workers were only trying to express their feelings based on the wrong information they got, but they have no right to criticise their leaders and even some of them took the situation at hand to the extreme, because if you don’t understand an issue at hand what you need to do is to meet with your leaders for further clarification. We have units, we have districts, we have branches and we even have national headquarters which is Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria. If you are not clear with the response from your unit or district heads; you can go to MWUN which is the headquarters. Therefore maybe the information that they are supposed to get from their sub steward leaders were not relayed to them properly and that was what led to the protest. As at this morning, we have taken care of that and normalcy has returned to the terminal.
I guess those who spread the rumour are dockworkers?
I may not say they are dockworkers or not, because there is no smoke without fire. Somebody somewhere ignited that the dockworkers should meet with the terminal operator that the concession agreement between ENL and BPE has been terminated; which I think is a blatant lie. If I have worked for 10 years with a company and somebody told me that I am not entitled to anything, won’t I react? I quite understand their demand because they felt madam is going and there is need for compensation. However somebody somewhere misinformed the workers and that is why since on Monday, I have been going round to resolve the matter and thank God that matter has been resolved. There is nothing like ‘the contract of madam Vicky Hastrup has been terminated’, because a letter was sent to me to that effect, confirming that the contract has been extended. I spoke with the madam; that is Princess Vicky Hastrup who eventually told me that there is nothing of such and she even wrote a letter to me again confirming the extension of the new agreement. And according to BPE agreement which is five years per extension or review is still intact with ENL.
Apart from ENL have other terminal operators keyed into the system by ensuring that dockworkers are given letter of employment?
Yes, they have keyed in. In fact it’s all the terminals in Nigeria that have given letter of employment to their workers. I mean all terminal operators at the seaports have issued letter of appointment to the Dockers.
It appears ENL did not want to give the letter of employment to workers because it is the last to do so?
I don’t want to believe that was the case, rather it has to do with delay from management. Maybe somebody from the system delayed the process because madam must be aware of the approval and she told us that an approval has been granted to that effect. She had given directives that the letters should be rolled out for the workers. After the meeting we had with the workers, they are all excited about the development.
But the same day the protest was on-going at Apapa port, we gathered that there was also a similar protest at Tin Can Island Port as well. What was responsible for that?
It has to do with the fizzling out of tally clerks and on-board security men and you will agree with me that tally clerk operations was established by law and before you can not say you want to chase away somebody from the port, to do this, you need to go to the National Assembly to give reasons why they must leave. All over the world, there are what we call tally clerks and on-board security men in the ports, but it seems the management of NPA wants to replace them with cargo surveyors and the job of cargo survey is quite different from on-board security men and tally clerks. The tally clerk deals with what we call physical tally why cargo surveyors are into draught weight on liquid and what have you. The purpose of having tally clerks on board vessel is for the interest of the federal government, because most of the jetties handle all manners of illicit importations into the country without the knowledge of anyone. But with the tally clerk in place, such things can be nipped in the bud.
But the Cargo Tracking Note can address all forms of insecurity associated with import?
No, I disagree because it’s not in all cases that the CTN can checkmate such imports. It’s not everything in a container or vessel that the CTN can tackle. CTN is just like a pregnant woman who goes for scanning exercise to know the sex of her child. Sometimes the scanning result can be true, sometimes not. The result can show that the baby is one and at the end it will happen to be twins or triplets from that same womb that earlier indicated that the baby inside the womb was one. As regards CTN, it is not every importation that can be checked effectively.
What is your view about the minister of transport’s directive for NPA to stop all forms of payment to dockworkers?
The minister never directed NPA to sack dockworkers. It is a misconception from management of NPA, because there is no document to that effect. NPA did not issue any statement that the minister directed that management should stop dealing with the dockworkers.
Are you saying that the minister did not give any directive?
I am telling you that the minister was ill-informed about the issue at hand. We attended the meeting with the minister and he never used such language that NPA should stop dealing with the dockworkers. What he said was that since it has to do with social welfare of workers I will discuss with Mr. President and that was all. He has never concluded, he has never said that the tally clerk and on board security men are not needed in the ports. That was what happened at the meeting. NPA sponsored the story that the minister has ordered the dismissal of dockworkers.
What is your take on the fact that dockworkers branch of the union are perceived to the most aggressive whenever there are issue?
When was the last time you saw or heard of any form of industrial action by dockworkers in Nigeria? If not for the agitation of tally clerks and on board security men, when did you get to hear or see that dockworkers are on rampage at the ports? In the last five years or so have you heard of dockworkers strike. Apart from the recent agitation from workers to get letter of employment I don’t think we have issues with employers of labour. Were you not given a letter of employment by your management but in the past dockworkers don’t have condition of service from employers and we have been able to fight for it and they have been able to get it from their employers. Tell me any of the terminals that you have recorded any industrial unrest in Nigeria as regards dockworkers agitation.
What is view on the appointment of Dr. Peterside Dakuku as the new DG of NIMASA?
It’s a welcome development and we pray he performs as the NIMASA director general. We also pray that his stay as NIMASA DG will favour the Nigerian dockworkers and the maritime industry in general. There is no point showering the man with praises when we don’t know his pedigree; because many DGs of NIMASA have come and gone. I mean you are aware of what is going on with the last DG of NIMASA, where issues surrounding funds is in the front burner.
In a couple of months it is expected that a new president of the dockworkers branch will emerge, what are the attributes of the person that would be your successor?
Please let leave that for God to decide because with God all things are possible.
But from your body language, it appears you have your own candidate that you would love to take over from you as president?
I am a human being and such things are normal, but allow God to take care of that aspect as we progress.
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