The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has called on the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to make its position known on the delay in the implementation of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as rolled out recently by the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC).
The President of the association, Engr. Matthew Alalade who made this call in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos said that it was time NIMASA come open on this issue having lingered for months now.
Alalade disclosed all parties including the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Workers’ Union and NIMASA had all signed the document except for the ship owners who were yet to endorse it.
Hear him,” In terms of welfare, the seafarers have not been fairly treated. The Nigerian government has failed us so far because the NJIC agreement has expired since 2011 and NIMASA set up a committee of which we were involved. That committee resumed work in October 2016 but up till today nothing good has come out of it.
“Last November, Maritime Workers, the Unions, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Transport and NIMASA signed their own part of the agreement because it is a tripartite thing but the ship owners are yet to sign their own and we are going to take it up with them this year.
“Let NIMASA come out and tell us they are not ready so that we know that they are not favourably disposed to seafaring. So, the ship owners are the ones stalling the implementation of NJIC agreement as at now.
On their plans for seafarers languishing in different prisons across the nation, Alalade said,” We have plans for them. We are going to form a joint committee with the Maritime Workers’ Union so that we can take further steps from where we stopped so that we free them. Those who are deficient in one way or the other and those who are not deficient will be freed from the prison. We are taking steps, through that committee we want to set up other committees so that we can move forward and see what we can do to free them from the prison.
“We are getting legal services to defend them especially those on awaiting trial list as well as those who have genuine case”.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @ptreporters and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
