By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has issued a strong warning to Temile Development Company Nigeria Limited over its alleged refusal to allow workers within the firm to unionise, setting the stage for a potential industrial confrontation.
MWUN, under the leadership of its President-General, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, is acting in collaboration with the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNO-WTSSA), insisting that employees of the Port Harcourt-based company must be brought under union coverage.
The unions disclosed that multiple formal requests seeking the unionisation of workers at Temile Development Company, located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have been ignored by the management. According to MWUN, letters dated May 26, 2025; September 16, 2025; October 2025; and most recently April 1, 2026, all titled “Request for the Unionisation of Our Members in Your Company,” have received no response.
Describing the company’s silence as defiance, the unions maintained that no employer is above established labour laws or trade union structures, warning that continued resistance could trigger decisive action.
Comrade Bunu stressed that the era of casualisation of workers is over, noting that such practices are no longer acceptable within Nigeria’s labour framework. He argued that engaging workers under poor conditions or informal arrangements amounts to exploitation and violates existing labour standards.
He further warned that any organisation found perpetuating such practices would face consequences, adding that labour unions remain committed to protecting workers’ rights and dignity across the maritime sector.
MWUN has now given Temile Development Company a 21-day ultimatum to respond to its correspondence and agree to a meeting with union representatives. Failure to comply, the union said, would result in further steps to enforce workers’ rights.
