The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), led by Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to Sea Transport Manning Services Ltd over the company’s refusal to sign a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for its seafaring employees—who are bona fide members of the Union.
The union, in a press statement issued on Monday by the head of media, Com. Kennedy Ikemefuna, noted that the previous CBA expired in 2023, and despite repeated efforts to engage the company’s management in negotiations for a new agreement, the company has continuously deployed delay tactics and stonewalled all discussions.
According to MWUN, the management of Sea Transport Manning Services Ltd has for the past two years used “negative antics” to stagnate workers’ salaries and halt career advancement. These actions, the Union says, are in clear disregard of the welfare and rights of the seafarers under its employment.
The Union emphasized that it has exercised patience and called on its members to remain calm and committed to their duties despite the prolonged standoff. This restraint, MWUN noted, has allowed the company to operate without disruption, even as it continues to ignore the demands for a renewed CBA.
MWUN is now calling the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to the situation, urging their intervention.
The 21-day ultimatum, which began recently, is intended to compel Sea Transport Manning Services Ltd to initiate dialogue and conclude the signing of a new CBA. The Union insists this is necessary to uphold industrial peace and protect the rights of its members.
