Maritime workers mobilise for strike
THE industrial peace in the nation’s ports appears to be heading to the rocks as indications have emerged that the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, is planning to down tools and cripple ports activities nationwide over unresolved industrial issues. Among the pending industrial issues include the refusal of the International Oil Companies, IOCs, to comply with Marine Notice 106 and extant Stevedoring regulations, refusal to pay aged seafarers monthly pensions in spite of court ruling, refusal to restore registered onboard ship gangway security and Tally men (pooling system), absence of Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, in Shipping sub-sector and refusal to issue Seafarers identity documents, SID, to seafarers. Recall that MWUN had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and other concerned authorities effective Monday, March 6, to address the Union’s grievances, or face industrial unrest. However, fillers from the Union indicate that none of the issues has b...