President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN); Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has cautioned newly-elected executives of the dockworkers branch of the union against indiscriminate work stoppages at the various terminals in the nation’s seaports.
He told the new leaders of the union’s dockworkers branch on Friday that, it was only the union’s national executives committee that can declare industrial dispute, even as he cautioned the dockworkers that the era of brigandage and illegal activities were over in the nation’s seaports.
He gave the warning while opening the union’s dockworkers branch quadrennial delegates’ conference, shortly before the commencement of the elections that saw seven members emerge as the new executives that will oversee the affairs of the branch in the next four years.
Apparently speaking against the backdrop of previous atrocities of dockworkers, Comrade Adeyanju also warned that anyone caught in the web of such illegality in the port would face the wrath of the Union and the National executives.
Adeyanju who is also the immediate past president of the branch for eight years said, "The road is not as easy as you think, if you stop work because of money, you will see the wrath of the national executive.
"Don't put money first, if you work, money will come. There should not be making of money through illegal means," he cautioned.
The seven executives who were returned unopposed are : Ibrahim Tajudeen Ohize as president,Hakeem Lawal became the Vice President, while Lawal Mukaila and Joseph Odemene emerged the Treasurer and Auditor respectively
Others are: Ida Lawal and Wait Havvy, as Trustees and Bolashade Ogunjobi emerged as the Women Representative of the branch.
While taking stock of his achievements during his two terms reign as dock workers' president, he stated that Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed with stevedoring companies, port operators and other stakeholders.
He boasted that through the open door policy of his administration, conflicts which had tendencies to spread were nipped in the bud even as he said that during his regime, the branch keyed into pension scheme for the life of members after retirement.
Also speaking at the event, the immediate past president of NPA branch of MWUN; Comrade Adeleke Sanni canvassed for peace and harmony among the workers of the branch and other branches saying they should see themselves as an entity while also advising against dictatorship from the executives.
He said liberality would command loyalty and support from the members of the Union.
