Maritime Workers Union, TICT Terminal Sign New CBA for Port Workers
.
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the management of TinCan Island Container Terminal (TICT) have signed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the workers of the company.
Recall that the workers under the Shipping Branch of MWUN, protested few weeks ago and withdrew their services over the alleged reluctance of the terminal operator to sign a new salary for them in accordance with what their colleagues were receiving at other port terminals.
Speaking with our correspondent in Lagos on Monday, President General of MWUN, Comrade Abdulwaheed Adeyanju confirmed that the agitations and requests of the workers have been taken care of.
Comrade Adeyanju commended the Branch President, Comrade Ekpeyong Ekpeyong, and the National Treasurer of the union, Comrade Uche Igweonu for doing a wonderful job of reaching an agreement with the TICT management within two days and securing a good package for the workers.
“I signed the CBA on Friday, and I want to commend the management of TICT, the branch President and my National Treasurer for a wonderful job because I gave them a matching order that I dont want the negotiations to exceed three days, but they were able to finalise the CBA for this year”
“All the teething area that the workers were agitating for, which we are also aware of, have all been taken care by the management and the Union”
“So, I have signed my own portion on Friday, and I can tell you that the workers are now happy that their CBA has been signed.
All other terminals have since signed their CBA” the MWUN PG stated.
He said the workers had went on the recent protest because they were suspecting that the management of TICT was trying to play on their intelligence, he however said the union was able to sign the CBA successfully under one day.
Continuing, the PG said “The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria is one body with four executive president and national officers, since I came onboard, the issue of marginalisation is not in my dictionary, I make sure that all the officers are carried along”
“Most of the CBA that we have been signing, I made sure that all the national officers from that branch are part of it. Sometimes I dont have to be at the meeting, I delegate power to all the presidents and national officers because I know they are equal to the task”
“The shipping branch has been taken care of, their branch has been performing excellently well. All my branch Presidents are performing too.
I dont marginalise the and it is not in my dictionary”
Comrade Adewale however said the union is ready to tackle the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) to ensure that the welfare package for the workers at shipping companies are improved upon.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic and attendant lockdown, the union had issued an ultimatum to the foreign shipping companies, lamenting that her members under the Shipping Branch were not being taken care of properly.
The negotiations were however stalled by the Covid-19.
Comrade Adeyanju said the union is issuing another fresh ultimatum to the shipping association to meet its demands.
“The shipping association of Nigeria keep giving us excuses of Covid-19, we want to reopen the case with them in line with the ultimatum and conditions we gave them the last time” he said
