Fresh indications have emerged that the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) will soon embark on a national training workshop for Nigerian dockworkers and seafarers in order to bring them up to acceptable world standard.
President of Dockworkers Branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN); Comrade Adeyanju Adewale disclosed to Shipping Position Daily exclusively last week that plans are already underway and that ITF officials have been holding series of meetings with the union and other stakeholders.
Adeyanju who represents the dockworkers’ section of the ITF lamented that even though the MWUN is an affiliate of the ITF, all is not well with Nigerian dockworkers. He lamented that majority of them were still operating under hardship.
He told our correspondent that the MWUN is currently battling with terminal operators so that they can comply and implement the condition of service for dockworkers as done all over the world.
He said that the ITF delegation which visited Nigeria recently came on a fact finding mission to see what is happening in the Nigerian ports and find out about dockworkers, especially their welfare.
"They were here to introduce training for dockworkers in all categories we found ourselves; they will be coming back by 1st week of September for proper training which will involve all the stakeholders"
"On the cost of training, I will keep silent because the burden would have to come from the ITF but the union would also have to contribute little as well as the stakeholders including seafarers", he said
Adeyanju lamented that "all is not well yet with Nigerian dockworkers, part of what we are doing now which is causing hullabaloo here and there is the issue of condition of service which has not got to where we want it to be"
"If I work for you for 10 years and you are unable to pay me what belongs to me, then we have not achieved. But we have started something now, and this is that terminal benefit must give to dockworkers once they are leaving. They must also be pensionable" he insited.
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