Maritime workers suspend planned strike, list 5-point resolutions with IOCs

The planned strike action slated for Tuesday, 9th January, 2024 by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to ground activities at the nation’s seaports has been suspended.

The suspension follows intervention by the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) led by the Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko.

In a communique issued by the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, through the MWUN’s Head of Media, John Ikemefuna at the end of the stakeholders’ engagement, the IOCs have substantially complied with the deployment of Labour, while the matter of equipment deployment is to be examined within the next three months.

Consequently, the union directed its members to resume normal activities today saying the nation’s seaports will be open for business.

“This was as a result of communiques signed on the deadline for full compliance with Stevedoring Regulations by Operators in the petroleum industry, which addressed the declaration of the strike action – to shut down the seaports, terminals, jetties and oil & gas platforms nationwide; hence, the following resolutions were arrived at:-

1) That though the IOCs have substantially complied with the deployment of Labour, the matter of equipment deployment is to be examined within the next three (3) months.

READ ALSO:Maritime workers threaten total shut down of port operations nationwide Jan. 9th

2) That meetings be facilitated within one (1) week by the relevant regulators and the marginal field operators and all other compliant operators to ensure immediate compliance with the Stevedoring Regulations and granting of access to appoint Stevedores.

3) That full resolution of all issues relating to compliance and grants of access to work locations to Stevedores by location operators be sorted out between now and the end of January, 2024.

4 (That while these actions are being taken, the earlier communique reached Friday, the 5th of January, 2024 be immediately implemented as a mark of good faith.

5) That based on the above resolutions, the Union has decided to lift the impending shutting down of the nation’s seaports.

“The Nigerian Ports Authority as the Master Stevedore and the Industry Regulator, this last time of the supposed crisis have laid to rest the protracted issues of the IOCs and the Union for now.

By Babajide Okeowo

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now