Shippers’ Council Wades In As MWUN Shuts APM Terminal Apapa

·NPA Suspends ETO Ticket At Embattled Terminal

The Nigeria Shippers’ Council is billed to meet with the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) today(Friday) in a move aimed at wading into the union’s face off with terminal operator; APM Terminal in Apapa port.

The union had on Thursday crippled activities at the terminal owing to alleged racism and breach of agreement. They accused APMT of engaging foreigners in the security department of the terminal.

According to the President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, the grounding of activities at the terminal is due to expiration of the one-week notice given to the management of the terminal over unfriendly labour matters.

The union’s activities have totally crippled operations at the APM Terminal

Our correspondent confirmed that, barring any unforeseen development, the Executive Secretary of the Council, Mr Hassan Bello will meet with the MWUN led by its President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju this morning.

Meanwhile, reacting to the industrial action by the workers’ union, which did not allow containers to move in and out of the terminal, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), also on Thursday, announced that it was suspending issuance of Electronic Call-up ticket for trucks bound for the embattled APMT in Apapa.

The is contained in a series of tweets on the official twitter page of the NPA.

The tweets read: Following a dispute with the management of AP Moller Terminals at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa, members of the Maritime Workers Union have today, April 15, disrupted operations at the terminal.

“While the NPA is working toward resolving the dispute between the two parties, APMT will not be able to receive or exit cargoes for the next 24 hours.

“The authority hereby urges stakeholders to please take note, as ETO tickets will not be issued to APMT bound cargoes,”

Shipping Position Daily recalls that, the MWUN and APMT have been sharply disagreed over the replacement of Nigerians with foreign workers.

Last week, both parties entered into discussions in an attempt to resolve the issue, but failed to reach agreement after the management was alleged to have refused to give a time frame when some of the foreigners would leave.

It was gathered that the management of APM Terminal had claimed that the foreigners were brought in to train Nigerians.

The President General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju said on Thursday that, “they (APMT) are taking advantage of Nigerians and bringing in foreigners to take over our jobs. Now the workers have taken their fate or destiny in their hands that they won’t allow this to happen. “The jobs that Nigerians can do, APMT is bringing in Egyptians, Ghanaians, among others to come and head departments that Nigerians have been heading”.