Anxiety As NIMASA Bans Strike Among Dockworkers

Anxiety of an imminent labour unrest is brewing again in the nation’s port system as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) outlaws strike or any form of industrial action by dockworkers.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) appears upset with the last week’s warning that was handed down to dockworkers by the NIMASA on account of feelers that the union leadership was to call its members out on a strike.

Anxiety of an imminent labour unrest is brewing again in the nation’s port system as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) outlaws strike or any form of industrial action by dockworkers.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) appears upset with the last week’s warning that was handed down to dockworkers by the NIMASA on account of feelers that the union leadership was to call its members out on a strike.
The NIMASA had warned dockworkers against any disruption of work at the terminal under any guise, stating that it “has observed with dismay the conduct of certain elements in the dock labour industry who are in the habit of harassing and stopping dockworkers from performing their legitimate duties over minor grievances. This action which is inimical to efficient operations at the ports negates the institutionalized grievance resolution procedure in industrial relations, and is therefore illegal”.
But, our investigations revealed that all is not well with the relationship between NIMASA and the MWUN, especially the dockworkers branch, whose president, Comrade Rasak Adeyanju hinted our correspondent that some terminals owe dockworkers arrears of wages and allowances.

The unions is reportedly unhappy with the NIMASA directive that “any dockworker(s) that engages in illegal work stoppage, strike action, or prevents another dockworker(s) from performing his legitimate duties will be deregistered and promptly prosecuted as an economic saboteur”.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that some employees of dockworkers (names withheld) are actually failing in their obligations, a development which is heating up the relative peace in some terminals.
 A dockworker at one of the affected terminals told our correspondent that, prior to the NIMASA warning of last week, there had been moves by the leadership of the union to make the defaulting employers to pay.
Efforts to get any update on the emerging face-off proved abortive, but a senior employee of the union hinted our correspondent that the union leadership was in a meeting, he however did not indicate where and with whom the meeting was holding.