The leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, employees of shipping companies in all ports formations on Monday began an indefinite strike over poor wages and alleged dehumanizing workingconditions.
According to Vanguard, the industrial action is also taking place across all dry ports, jetties, terminals among others.
It was gathered that Dockworkers, Nigerian Ports Authority, workers and Seamen/Nigerian Inland Water Ways, and Water Transportation employees would join from tomorrow in solidarity should the shipping companies fail to address the workers’ grievances.
This came as the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, summoned a stakeholders’ meeting today in a desperate attempt to resolve the matter and ensure that the industrial crisis does not lead to a total shutdown of the nation’s ports.
Recall that at a briefing Thursday in Lagos, President General of MWUM Prince Adewale Adeyanju explained that the strike was due to poor remuneration of workers and the refusal of shipping companies operating in Nigeria to agree on a minimum standards for working conditions and remuneration of staff.
“This matter is not new to all the stakeholders, ultimatums had been given and they tried to talk us out of it. Because of the sensitivity of the ports, we always weigh the options. But the way it is now, there is no way we are going to continue issuing ultimatums.
