The Nigerian Association of Stevedoring Companies has called for the signing of the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) which would regulate their operations, especially as regards operations at various jetties.
This is even as the association has lamented that most dockworkers at Nigerian ports feel too big to put on the kits provided for them to work with.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the NJIC agreement on terminal operations was signed few weeks ago. The agreement however mainly focused on improvement in welfare of Nigerian dockworkers.
President of stevedores in Nigeria, Mr Bolaji Sunmola in a recent chat with journalists in Lagos noted that the NJIC agreement was just on the concessioned area, "we are still waiting for the NJIC on jetty operations and other locations" he said.
He said though the agreement has been signed but the stevedoring group has not read what was signed.
He however said 'It is in the interest of the industry, once the workers are happy, there would be peace in the industry which is the major interest of everyone. Stevedoring companies all over the world cannot be wished-away because it would lead to chaos"
Sunmola also corrected that there is no stevedoring company that does not make provision for kitting; he said this has been made compulsory by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and it can never be flouted.
He called on all stevedoring companies to ensure proper discipline of their workers and appropriate sanction for those who feel too big to put on their kit
Speaking, he said "It is not possible because NIMASA would not even allow you to sleep, there are stringent regulations to ensuring that you have them in place, what is the purpose of having kits that you are not putting on the workers, it all depends on strict supervision by each company to ensure the workers comply, some of the dockworkers feel too big to wear their kits"
"However there is way that it could be enforced, each company should ensure that they put in place, discipline and sanctions as at when due, there is no company that can flout the kitting policy of NIMASA" he said.
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