Bimbola Oyesola
Workers in the Maritime sector of the economy yesterday issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to compel the International Oil Companies (IOCs), to pay all outstanding bill for over a year to Dockworkers.
The workers, under the umbrella of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), specifically asked the Federal Ministry of Transportation to, within the next 14 days, address the issue or the nation’s ports would be shut down.
“Consequently, we are constrained to give the Federal Ministry of Transportation that superintends the appointment of stevedores two weeks (14 days) to prevail on the management of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay all outstanding bills to our members, failure of which we will be compelled to withdraw our services and shut down operations in all the nations sea ports.”
The union, in a statement by its President-General and Secretary General, Prince Adewale Adeyanju and Felix Akingboye respectively said:
“we want to use this medium to intimate you and the Federal Government of the non-payment of the stevedoring wages to dockworkers by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria. We are aware that on June 1, 2018, the NPA appointment stevedoring contractors to provide stevedoring services at various off-shore jetties and on-shore locations to the International Oil Services and other operators. It will be necessary to inform you that NPA had held several meetings with these operators to grant access to the government appointed stevedoring contractors, process their invoices and effect payment. Unfortunately, the operators have refused to comply with the NPA directive after one year that the stevedoring contractors were appointed.
The union commended the managing director of Nigerian Port Authority for compeling the IOCs to engage the services of appointed stevedoring and registered dockworkers in their stevedores and registered dockworkers in their stevedoring operations.
It added: “In fact, at stakeholders meeting held on February 28, 2018, organised by the NPA to sensitise stakeholders i.e IOCs, jetty owners and terminal owners, that the NPA management appointed stevedores and registered dockworkers are empowered by law to solely handle discharged and loading operations at the ports, jetties and oil platforms.”