At Last, IOC’s Begin Engagement of Nigerian Dockworkers, As MWUN Announces 70% Compliance
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has announced that the International Oil Companies (IOC) have started engaging Nigerian Stevedoring Companies and employment of dockworkers in line with the Union’s demands.
Recall that the union has been having a running battle with the IOC’s for the past four years over the IOC’s alleged noncompliance to the Stevedoring Regulations in Nigeria.
The union had earlier threatened a strike action and total shutdown of maritime operations in Nigeria at the expiration of a two weeks ultimatum issued on March 1st 2022. The ultimatum enjoyed the blessing and support of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)
However, speaking with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju confirmed that the IOCs’ have started complying with the Union demands.
He however stated that there are some recalcitrant companies who still refused to sign the Agreement with Nigerian Stevedoring Companies.
“We have signed a communique with the IOC and OPTS, and we gave them two weeks for implementation and I think it has commenced by all the IOC’s
“The two weeks expired yesterday but we backdated it for implementation. We are still going to reconvene another meeting, we have to know those companies that have complied, and the ones that are still playing pranks, we need to know them
“The NPA in their wisdom have said that they can picket these non-compliant ones.
“To me, 60-70 percent of the IOC’S have started complying, we are now signing contract agreements here and there” he said
When he was asked what would happen if the IOC’s failed to sustain the agreement in the long term, Comrade Adeyanju said “We only suspended the strike, we can review it anytime.Some of the companies are very funny and stubborn”
ComradeAdeyanju listed ; Total, Chevron, Agip as among those already in compliance with the agreement.
He appreciated stakeholders that have intervened on the phase off in the past four years.