Oluyinka Onigbinde
As part of effort to avert the planned strike by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) due to non-compliance of International Oil Companies (IOCs) with the implementation of stevedoring regulations, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Oil Producing Trade Section of Lagos Chamber of Commerce (OPTS) and the union have mandated the IOCs to ensure that directives on the handling of wet and dry cargo are complied with within two weeks.
The directive was conveyed in a communiqué that was issued after a meeting held on Monday 28 February 2022 between representatives of NPA, NAPIMS, MWUN, Oil Producing Trade Section of Lagos Chamber of Commerce (OPTS), the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASO)
A copy of the communiqué which was obtained by our correspondent reads in part: “That the IOCs should ensure that contracts on wet and dry cargo between them and assigned stevedoring operators to their respective work locations are concluded within two (2) weeks from the date of this meeting
“That the Secretary of OPTS present at the meeting should convey to members of OPTS that were not present at the meeting, the ultimatum contained in resolution (1) above
“That Nigerian Ports Authority should furnish NAPINES details of the level of compliance with respect to the implementation of stevedoring regulations on wet and dry cargo.
“That these resolutions were reached as a basis for persuasion of MWUN to suspend the planned strike action”.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had vowed to join the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in its planned strike action against the International Oil Companies ( IOCs)) if the matter remains unresolved after the two weeks grace period.
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The NLC had made its position known in a letter signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and addressed to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi on March 3rd, 2022.
In the letter, the NLC lamented that the Transport Ministry hasn’t taken a stand on the issue despite MWUN efforts to bring the matter to the Ministry on several occasions to the extent of issuing ultimatums for strike actions in the past including 3-days warning strike which was eventually suspended and 14-days Notice of Strike Action issued in April 2021.
Last week’s meeting which led to the communique was at the instance of the Nigerian Ports Authority, in a bid to avert the NLC-backed MWUN which would cripple activities in all the nation’s seaports, jetties and terminals.
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