MWUN Knocks Shipping Association of Nigeria Over Poor Salaries, Benefits of Workers

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called-out the Shipping Association of Nigerian (SAN) over alleged maltreatment of Nigerians working with them, adding that the workers are poorly remunerated and overworked.

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju stated this at the 5th Quadrennial Branch Delegate Conference of the Shipping Branch of the union in Lagos on Wednesday.

Adeyanju said the union has declared a state of emergency on the shipping companies in Nigeria for maltreatment of their workers, even as he threatened that the union would take actions on these companies any moment from now.

” I also want to quickly use this medium to call on members of the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) to urgently institute the process for upward review of the very poor retirement benefit of shipping companies personnel ans their condition of service which is virtually non-existent.

“Comrades, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the shipping sector is under siege, I dare say this because records show that our members in the shipping sector have over the years been underpaid and overworked.

“This must be stopped now. I am therefore requesting for an overhaul of the remuneration system currently operative in the shipping sector”

“Another problem in this sector is the issue of outsourcing of jobs such as security, accounting, human resources, operations etc which ordinarily can be efficiently handled by Nigerians but are contracted out this, throwing very qualified Nigerians into the labour market to their detriment and growing the unemployment market.

“We see this practice as against the principle of local content as canvassed by the federal government” he said

Meanwhile, the union during the elections conducted have returned its Shipping Branch President, Comrade Ekpeyong Ekpeyong for a second term of four years in office.

While highlighting his achievements during the first four years in office, Comrade Ekpeyong said there has been an appreciable upward review of condition of service in the industry through yearly plant by plant Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations inspite of the retrogressive attitude of some employers who continue to work against workers’ progress.

He also said there has been an improved redundancy package as a guide in the industry, drastic reduction in number of casual/contract workers, introduction of annual education allowance with ongoing efforts to replicate it in the industry.

Others are: unionisation of workers of the the following companies: GMT Shipping and Logistics, Sinoma Cargo International Ltd, among others.

He assured that going forward, the employers whose mission is enslavement of Nigerian workers in their fatherland would have the union to contend with.