In a renewed effort to draw the attention of the Federal Government and lawmakers to the plight of workers in the maritime sector, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Shipping and Freight Forwarding branch, has urged lawmakers to expedite actions on the passage of the bill that would stop outsourcing and employment of contract workers.
National President, Shipping and Courier branch of MWUN, Comrade Ekpeyong E. Ekpeyong who made the appeal, also noted that there has been massive downsizing of workers in the maritime sector in the last six years.
“We pray that the bill should sail through because shipping subsector has not benefitted in this regards.
“What the principals are doing now is to come to Nigeria and do business without regard for workers and indigenous managers are not helping the issues because of selfish interests”, he said.
Ekpeyong also frowned at the lackluster attitude of the shipping lines to respond to issues affecting workers, warning that the union would not take it lightly at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum.
He alleged that the conglomerates were concerned about profit making to the detriment of workers, pointing out that the employees were not carried along in the area of welfare.
Recall that the union’s President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, had issued a 21-day ultimatum to shipping companies operating in the country over poor workers renumeration.
Adeyanju reaffirmed the union’s commitment towards decongesting the port and urged the conglomerates to acquire holding bays and parking lots in order to encourage easy movement of vehicles within the ports.
It would also be recalled that the House of Representatives, last Tuesday, passed the second reading of a bill seeking to amend the Labour Act to criminalise casualisation of workers in Nigeria.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos