Maritime Workers Shutdown Nigeria Ports

MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday, shut the nation’s ports over alleged nine months unpaid wages to over 3,000 Tally Clerks and Onboard security men, members of the dockworkers,  among others. They vowed not to resume work until the workers were paid and other pending issues addressed amicably.

This development has put the nation’s ailing economy in jeopardy as the nation stands to lose N5 billions daily. The action, if allowed to linger, will result in demurrage, delayed delivery of raw materials from the ports and ports congestion, among others.
According to the union their other major grievance is the alleged midstream discharge of vessels in Bonny Rivers, Lagos and other port formations without using registered dockworkers as required by law.
MWUN, had on October 12, issued a 7-day ultimatum to the management of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to stop all midstream discharge of vessels in Bonny Rivers, Lagos and other port formations without using registered dockworkers as required by law, failing which the nation’s ports would be   shut.
Reacting to the strike, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs Department, NPA, Captain Ihenacho Ebubeogu, told Vanguard that some of the agency’s management staff were at the moment in Abuja to get funds from the Treasury Single Account, TSA, domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to settle the wages.