NPA Senior Staff, MWUN Threaten Port Shutdown as Hull Blyth Shipping Company Refuses to Comply with N200,000 Minimum Wage

—Workers Anxieties Mount Over Unrenewed Terminal Operators’ Concession Agreements

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has issued a warning that it may shut down all ports, terminals, jetties, and oil and gas platforms nationwide due to Hull Blyth Shipping Company’s refusal to comply with the newly established N200,000 minimum wage.

The new CBA for shipping workers was recently signed by both the union and the shipping companies, supervised by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

At a joint press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday, MWUN, together with the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), also urged the Federal Government to renew the concession agreements of terminal operators.

The unions expressed concerns that the delays in renewing these agreements are creating job insecurity among workers.

Speaking, the President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju acknowledged the support of prominent figures including former Minister of Transportation Alhaji Muazu Sambo, current Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, and past and present Executive Secretaries of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Hon. Emmanuel Jime and Barrister Pius Ukeyima Akutah, who fought over the years to ensure the minimum wage was agreed and signed.

The union expressed disappointment in Hull Blyth Shipping Company’s outright refusal to honor the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), describing the company as notorious for its entrenched casualization practices, reliance on outsourced labor, and consistent repatriation of profits overseas.

“It is with a sense of disappointment that we bring to the attention of the general public, the unfortunate denouncement of this landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by Hull Blyth Shipping Company’s and its blatant refusal to abide by its provisions.

“We must state here, that Hull Blyth is known for its 100% entrenched casualisation of its workforce. This company solely depends on outsourcing of all its operational process. It is also known for repatriation of the company’s huge profits back to their home country.

“We therefore wish to use this medium to sound a note of warning to Hull Blyth management that the union will resist this action, with all it would take, including closing down all ports, terminals, jetties and oil and gas platforms nationwide should this blatant disregard for the CBA agreement persist” Adeyanju stated

While addressing the issue of terminal operators’ licenses, MWUN expressed concern over recent layoffs and increasing anxiety about job security.

The union urged the Federal Government to promptly renew the licenses of terminal operators, who have been vital employers for thousands of MWUN members since 2006.

MWUN stressed that the terminal operators provide employment across the dock, shipping, and seafaring sectors, so any impact on them directly affects the welfare of union members and raises the risk of unemployment.

On his part, the President of SSASCGOC Maritime, Comrade Bodunde Akinola raise alarm over unmanned jetties across the country, and the attendant evenue losses.

“We wish to affirm that Jetties play a very important role as landing and storage points for goods and services. Suffice it to stress that the jetties also dot all nooks and crannies of our littoral charts; but there is a visible lack of presence of NPA and NIMASA personnel in these places.

“The absence of these categories of personnel has made the jetties to become a veritable ground for the perpetration of criminal activities and a haven for economic sabotage. This has also fed to unchecked influx of banned commodities into the country and a means of loss of huge revenue to the nation.

“Consequently, we advocate for the urgent employment of workers across all maritime agencies such as: NPA, NIWA, NIMASA, and the Nigeria Shippers’ Council to man these areas for efficiency, improved security and resource accumulation. Again, these employments will serve to enhance safety, oversight, and provide more job opportunities

for Nigerian youths within the sector” Bodunde stated

The NPA Senior Staff President also expressed disappointment that the recent minimum wage that was approved by the Federal Government and the consequential adjustments have not yet been implemented by some government agencies and parastatals in the maritime sector.

“Our members, like all Nigerian workers, deserve timely adjustments to their wages that reflect current economic realities.

“We call for immediate compliance by all relevant bodies in the maritime sector” he said