The proposed strike that was scheduled to commence today across the nation’s seaports by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has been suspended.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu made this known Monday in his office in Lagos while speaking with some journalists .
The proposed strike that was scheduled to commence today across the nation’s seaports by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has been suspended.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu made this known Monday in his office in Lagos while speaking with some journalists .
The image maker said that the agreement to suspend the planned strike action was reached at a meeting with the Nigeria Ports Authority and leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria where it was agreed that the strike action would be suspended to pave way for dialogue.
Ebubeogu further said that a committee had been set up by the Nigerian Ports Authority to look into their grievances with a view to addressing it.
According to him,” the strike has been suspended and a committee within NPA constituted to look into their complaints”.
Asked if he would comment on the issues raised by the union, Capt Ebubeogu said: “Why don’t you wait until the committee’s report comes out? That is what I would advise. These are the issues now; that a meeting has been held with them and that a committee has been constituted by the NPA to look into their grievances with the aim of addressing them”.
Also the National President, Maritime Workers Union (MWUN), Comrade Nted Emmanuel Anthony confirmed through a telephone chat and admitted that the planned strike scheduled for today has been suspended.
The MWUN boss said, ” there was a presidential directive to the Minister of Labour to look into the issues we raised in our notice. Therefore, we decided to suspend the strike for one week to pave way for the government intervention".
He however threatened that, “if at the end one week our demands are not met, we would have no option than to down tool”.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria had last Monday accused NPA of insensitivity alleging that the authority has been owing its members 11months salary arrears threatening to embark on an industrial action if by yesterday (Monday), their salaries were not paid.
They alleged that NPA has expended more than N300 million to pay those they described as “illegal employees” known as Cargo Surveyors in the last one year and abandoning the tally clerks and onboard security men to their plight.
The union had further accused NPA of planning to substitute the registered tally clerks and the onboard security men with Cargo Surveyors, arguing that the positioning of Cargo Surveyors are not known under the NIMASA Act 2007 that regulates maritime labour activities.
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