The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has given the management of logistics service provider INTELS seven-day ultimatum to recall 600 employees of the company’s subsidiary AMS, who were laid-off.
In a letter dated October 14, 2020, a copy of which was sighted by Shipping Position Daily, the union accused INTELS’s subsidiary of unilaterally sacking the employees who are its members.
The letter which was signed by the Secretary General of MWUN; Comrade Felix S. Akingboye, was tilted “7 Days’ Notice To Withdraw All Letters Of Termination/Redundancy Issued To Workers Of Associate Maritime Services (AMS). It was addressed to the Managing Director. Intels Nig. Ltd”.
The letter was copied to Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, President, Nigeria Labour Congress and the Commissioner of Police, Eastern Port Police Command, among others.
In the letter, the MWUN recalled that, “recently, your management declared about thirty (30) of its employees redundant and the Union was duly consulted, and a joint communique between Management and the Union was issued after due negotiation”.
It however regretted that, a similar approach was jettisoned in the sack of the 600 members of the union.
“Regrettably however, we are informed that your Management has terminated its contract with Associate Maritime Services (AMS) which has led to over 600 workers (who are our members) being declared redundant without due recourse to the Union for the negotiation of their terminal benefits”.
According to the union, “letters of termination/redundancy, we are informed, had already been served on the workers”.
In the letter, the union also wondered why INTELS and AMS chose to sack the workers, a development which is at variance with previous approaches in which the union and the management have always jointly agreed on welfare of workers.
It also noted that, “the employees of the Principal i.e. Intels Nigeria Ltd. and its subsidiary AMS enjoy the same welfare benefits”.
“We demand that status quo ante should remain pending when a Management/Union meeting is convened to negotiate their exit and payment of terminal benefits”, the union insisted.
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