Business
Maritime Workers Want Improved Welfare
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has appealed to the Federal Government to review its worker’s salaries and improve on the welfare of workers to enhance productivity.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Tide in his office yesterday, the zonal Vice President of the Union, Comrade Waite Harry, said besides its workers’ salaries, which has not been reviewed for the past three years, the existing facilities also need replacement for improved productivity in the various ports.
“All the existing facilities and working tools need to be given a facelift to improve on the system,” he said.
According to him, “one of the agreement between the Federal Government and the terminal operators was that the Federal Government will replace the dilapidated facilities such as old and outdated forklifts, freight lifters for containers, 40 footer containers etc.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to remember its promise to overhaul the system because Nigeria’s ports are the gate ways of the nation’s economy.
“We have written several letters of appeal to NIMASA, which is our government regulatory body in the sea ports, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity but to no avail,” he explained.
He continued, “we are happy today that the president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan has a good relationship with labour unions and has given a listening ear to the plight of maritime workers, so we are relying on him,” he said.
He advised workers to remain calm saying that “since the hand writing is on the wall, it means that good things are on the way.”
Sogbeba Dokubo