Maritime Workers Suspend Planned Strike as 20 Dockworkers Regain Freedom
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Wednesday suspended its planned strike following the release of its 20 members by Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
The Union had threatened to embark on strike with effect Wednesday following the arrest and detention of its members by the Rivers State government for violating restriction order to check the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, told newsmen that the union decided to suspend the planned strike after the release of its members.
Adeyanju said although the bus conveying the union members was still with the state government it decided not to go ahead with its threat following the intervention of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) , the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
He said that he had directed that dockworkers in PortHarcourt who had started strike to shelve the idea for the sake of the national economy.
According to him, “Respected stakeholders have been calling on us trying to intervene on the issue in the past four days, most especially the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello and even the NLC too are on top of the issue. The dockworkers have been released but we are still requesting that they drop all the charges against them because they are not criminals.
“They are responsible workers, legitimately employed by terminal operators and engaged by stevedoring contractors. They were also given essential duty pass signed and authorised by the NPA. It shows that they are legitimate workers and they have every right to work in the port.
“We cannot drag ourselves with what is going on in the country. We are a responsible union. We don’t just do things without applying wisdom. If we shut down the whole port now, are we not adding injury to what is happening? For example, we have a fish vessel that has been at berth at PTOL and the vessel’s cooling system is showing signs of breakdown so we have asked the dockworkers to go back to work. As a responsible union, we believe in social dialogue.”
The Union had threatened to embark on strike with effect Wednesday following the arrest and detention of its members by the Rivers State government for violating restriction order to check the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, told newsmen that the union decided to suspend the planned strike after the release of its members.
Adeyanju said although the bus conveying the union members was still with the state government it decided not to go ahead with its threat following the intervention of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) , the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
He said that he had directed that dockworkers in PortHarcourt who had started strike to shelve the idea for the sake of the national economy.
According to him, “Respected stakeholders have been calling on us trying to intervene on the issue in the past four days, most especially the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello and even the NLC too are on top of the issue. The dockworkers have been released but we are still requesting that they drop all the charges against them because they are not criminals.
“They are responsible workers, legitimately employed by terminal operators and engaged by stevedoring contractors. They were also given essential duty pass signed and authorised by the NPA. It shows that they are legitimate workers and they have every right to work in the port.
“We cannot drag ourselves with what is going on in the country. We are a responsible union. We don’t just do things without applying wisdom. If we shut down the whole port now, are we not adding injury to what is happening? For example, we have a fish vessel that has been at berth at PTOL and the vessel’s cooling system is showing signs of breakdown so we have asked the dockworkers to go back to work. As a responsible union, we believe in social dialogue.”
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
