The Nigeria Labour Congress has threatened to close the country’s seaports if the government does not solve some of the sector’s concerns.
According to The PUNCH, this was stated by the president of the NLC, Joseph Ajaero, said this on Friday while addressing journalists in Apapa during a courtesy visit to the President of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Adewale Adeyanju.
Ajaero entrusted Adeyanju with giving the Federal Government a two-week deadline to evaluate workers’ wages and address some of the sector’s difficulties.
According to him, the government should specify who is responsible for reviewing port concession agreements.
He went on to say that no one could blame the MWUN for not being patient enough after two years of waiting.
He said, “You wrote to the minister of transportation in 2021 August and 2022 came and passed and we are approaching August 2023. President, if it is going to be possible, give them two weeks ultimatum from today. They will call us if not, you know the central position of maritime in Nigeria even in Africa. Nobody will toil with anything that concerns our workers.
“On this issue alone, labour has been writing since 2021 and this is 2023. I, as the NLC president, do not have any sympathy for anyone who is toiling with the interest of our workers. MWUN president, the decision is yours. When you decide, do them a letter and shut the seaport in the country.”
Ajaero charged the relevant ministries, particularly the ministries of transportation and labor, with carrying out their responsibilities.
“If they do not act on this, NLC will join you. We are going to give you a solidarity action,” he added.
Reacting, the President of MWUN, Adeyanju, said, “We will be giving two weeks ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation to come and explain who is regulating terminal operators. And if nothing is done, we will be shutting down port operations. Thank you for giving us the ultimatum and I want to confirm here that the ultimatum will start on Monday, 6th March 2023. If the government fails to respond, we will shut down the port.”
