MWUN Says Collaboration with COMTUA Didn’t Yield Any Fruitful Result At Port

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…Says Transport Unions were Trying to Collect Money Inside the Ports

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has given further insights into the real reason why the union cut-off its collaboration with the Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) saying that the collaboration yielded no fruitful or meaningful result.

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju stated this while fielding questions from journalists at the union headquarters in Lagos.

Comrade Adeyanju stated that the union had to cut ties with COMTUA when the group wanted to start collecting money inside the ports in form of tickets and tolls, a development which he says is contrary to believes of MWUN.

The MWUN PG also said that continous relationship between his union and the transport unions could lead to insecurity at the ports and this contravenes the very essence of the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

“Security should also be the order of the day at the port, when you allow insecurity to come in, the police would ask MWUN what our business is with these kind of people”

“There is the issue of ISPS Code, the moment you run away from it, where do you put the government agencies like NPA and NIMASA?

“Because, when you are saying that you want to start collecting tolls and tickets inside the port, every union has its own jurisdiction and scope, there is no way RTEAN, and the other road transport unions that have no base inside the port would just come into the port to start collecting ticket”

“MWUN know our jurisdiction, we work onboard the vessels and everywhere, but seating down with them, we found out their intention is different from ours”

“So, we ask ourselves why are we in this collaboration when we know their style?
Our own style is that we disagree with employers reasonably, we give notice, we seat more on round table, but theirs is not like that”

“Collaborating with COMTUA was as a result of the gridlock that all of us were experiencing at the port over the years, we believed that we could form an association that would bring management, workers and stakeholders in the port together to rub ideas, but we found out that Maritime Worker’s Union of Nigeria cannot stay in the toilet for 30-minutes, when you stay in the toilet for too long, uninvited guests would visit you”

“We believe that our seating down with them didn’t yield any fruitful result that has to do with the life of our members”

“When you have groups like the road transport union like RTEAN, the level that MWUN operate is different from the level of the other unions in COMTUA is different. Their mentality, character and attitude towards government and stakeholders is different from that of our union”

“There is no way we would seat in a collaboration where petitions would be coming, dragging issues that can be resolved amicably to the security agents. My executives said No, we cannot continue with such collaboration”

“There is no way out affiliates the Nigerian Labour Congress, the ITF and some others that we are affiliated to, would now be calling us to find out our business with RTEAN and road transport unions”

“Our doors are still open for other reputable and responsible organisations that we believe are part of maritime proper” he said

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