… Says they are lovers of workers
… Mulls single CBA for seafarers
Following the ongoing review of the concession agreement between the federal government and the terminal operators operating at the nation’s seaports, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has urged the federal government to take steps to retain the current crop of terminal operators describing them as lover of workers.
The President General, MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who made the plea in a chat with newsmen in Lagos Wednesday stated that the terminal operators had already done what he thought was their best as employers of labour.
Adeyanju argued that it is better working with the current terminal operators whom he said that they had come to know and understand better than bring in new ones who character and acumen they could not vouch for.
“So, we still insist that this present terminal operators are lovers of workers, they have already done what I think is best of them as employers of labour. So, we don’t have any course to disagree or say that government is going to remove them or that government is going to retain them. Our fear is, don’t bring somebody that will turn the bolt upside down. Let us continue with the old wife that we know all her character and those husbands that we know their character. That is the mindset of the union.
“We are not saying government should not review the operations of the terminal operators but we are saying that they should allow peace to reign in the industry because from 2006 till date, we can say that there is element of improvement in the terminal operations. The dockworkers, over the years don’t have conditions of service, it was when the terminal operators came in that we were able to have conditions of service for dockworkers, improving their welfare package and every two years, we go on collective bargaining agreement with the terminal operators midwifed by the Nigerian Ports Authority and NIMASA.
“So, we are not going to entertain any fear because the CBA is very clear. Anyone of them that is leaving today, before you leave, you must follow what is inside the CBA that we all agreed with all the terminal operators and the government”, he said.
While stating that he should not be dragged into talking about government policy, he however maintained that government appointed them and reserved the power to terminate such appointment.
He said, “If somebody has put in almost ten to fifteen or twenty years in service and they said, okay, they about renewing them, let them follow due process of their agreement. They have an existing agreement, they have the old one, they have the new. So, they should follow the due process. I think that is what the government is trying to do now.”
The President General dismissed the fear in some quarters that his members would lose their job if the appointment of the terminal operators were terminated insisting that “you should remember that the union was proactive enough to fight for the welfare of our members.”
“So, there is nothing like entertaining any fears that our members are going to lose their jobs but I can assure you that some of the prominent terminal operators that I know have contributed immensely to the growth of dockworkers can still retain their jobs and the union still believe in maintaining old wife than marrying a new one that you may not know the kind of character she is going to start exhibiting when she gets into your house”, he added.
Speaking on when next the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was due for renegotiation, he said, “I was with NIMASA lawyer last week Thursday and we had a very robust meeting with them. I don’t want to give you date so that you don’t hang me by my neck, you are going to hear from us on that because we are thinking that there should be a single CBA for seafarers.
“That is the stand of the union so that we can have one single CBA for all the seafarers across the companies. Not that somebody will just come in the name of manning agents, you are crewing and what you are crewing for, you are not taking the welfare of your seafarers to heart. But when we have a single CBA, whatever that is applicable to A is applicable to B, so there is no how you are going to run away from your responsibility. And you remember, ITF has been in Nigeria for four or five months now because of this single CBA that we are talking about.
“So, we are working seriously to make sure that both the seafarers and dockworkers have a very good condition of service with their respective employers of labour.”
Photo: Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju, President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
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