Shipping Trade Practitioner Faults CRFFN Unionism Under MWUN, Says Its a “Marriage of Convenience”

By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Shipping Trade Practitioners Association of Nigeria (STPAON) has faulted the unionisation of workers of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) by the
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) describing it as a “Marriage of Convenience”
Spokesperson of STPAON, Dr Babalola Olatunde in reaction to the strike threats issued by MWUN to fight nonpayment of CRFFN workers for the past nine months, said that it is wrong for CRFFN, a regulatory body in freight forwarding to seek refuge under CRFFN.
DAILY TREND reported on Wednesday, that the union had expressed frustration over nine months of salary arrears owed to its members and warned of an impending industrial crisis in the maritime sector if the situation is not resolved.
Dr Babalola in his reaction said “My worry is about the CRFFN workers being unionized by MWUN; because CRFFN by her mandate surpose to be a council regulating freight forwaders practices in Nigeria, to train them and help eliminate mediocrity and sharp practices to promote compliance and sanitize freight forwarding practices and practitiiners too.
“Therefore, CRFFN is not surpose to be under MWUN, expressly or impliedly being a “Regulator” in Nigeria.
“I understand there were dirverse court judgement and conflicting Orders as per the blanket name of MWUN.
But abinitio, MWUN was established to cater for the needs and specific welfare of Maritime workers (particularly Docklabours which of course includes those of the OICs due to the name “maritime”)
“In my own opinion CRFFN fraternity or the protection offered to her by MWUN is only a union or marriage of convinience, because the has Federal Government insisted that no more budgetary allocations to all councils that are not productive.
“Hence, all councils must generate revenue to sustain itself, which CRFFN failed to do.
“Now they took cover under MWUN who procure judgement and diverse injunctions to protect CRFFN and annex her staff as members of maritime workers union which they were not upon creation by Federal govt of Nigeria.
“Above all, the Judiciary which is the third arm of Government in Nigerian democratic system, creates more confusion and chaos in the polity through releases of judgements and diverse court injunctions that are counter productive like that of MWUN annexing CRFFN a regulator”
As government said they could no longer fund them, they should just merge them with any of the agencies.