Seafarers’ Day/COVID-19: MWUN Tasks Shipowners on Palliatives for Seafarers
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Wednesday called on shipowners and their manning agents to consider urgent provision of palliatives for members as incentives for extended services on ships following the coronavirus pandemic.
The demand for palliatives coincides with the celebration of Seafarers Day today.
President of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who spoke to newsmen in Lagos called on the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to prevail on the shipowners and their manning agents to provide the palliatives.
Adeyanju said that seafarers have continued to provide essential services for the benefit of both national and international economies despite the coronavirus pandemic
He warned that his union will embark on industrial action if indigenous shipowners failed to comply with the ITF provision on crew change.
He said, “We are thereby calling on NIMASA to talk to all employers of seafarers across Nigeria to ensure that palliative is added to the seafarers’ wages. Ours is to protect the interest of our members. A committee set up by MWUN has been going round and meeting with some of the employers of labour to know how far they have gone on the issue of crew change and as members of ITF, whatever directive that is coming from our affiliate, we have to comply with it. If the indigenous shipowners are not complying with the ITF directive on crew change, then we will support our affiliate to go on strike along with them.”
“With the pandemic ravaging the world, many of them (seafarers) are unable to change on vessels and unite with their family but NIMASA came in with Marine Notice that anybody that is onboard for three to six months, when they come down onboard, they have to be quarantine. The marine notice has taken care of all the issues of crew change but we all know that the seafarers have contributed immensely to the growth of the economy of this nation and we are saying they should be given palliative as incentives to cushion the effect of their sufferings on board the vessel.
The demand for palliatives coincides with the celebration of Seafarers Day today.
President of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who spoke to newsmen in Lagos called on the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to prevail on the shipowners and their manning agents to provide the palliatives.
Adeyanju said that seafarers have continued to provide essential services for the benefit of both national and international economies despite the coronavirus pandemic
He warned that his union will embark on industrial action if indigenous shipowners failed to comply with the ITF provision on crew change.
He said, “We are thereby calling on NIMASA to talk to all employers of seafarers across Nigeria to ensure that palliative is added to the seafarers’ wages. Ours is to protect the interest of our members. A committee set up by MWUN has been going round and meeting with some of the employers of labour to know how far they have gone on the issue of crew change and as members of ITF, whatever directive that is coming from our affiliate, we have to comply with it. If the indigenous shipowners are not complying with the ITF directive on crew change, then we will support our affiliate to go on strike along with them.”
“With the pandemic ravaging the world, many of them (seafarers) are unable to change on vessels and unite with their family but NIMASA came in with Marine Notice that anybody that is onboard for three to six months, when they come down onboard, they have to be quarantine. The marine notice has taken care of all the issues of crew change but we all know that the seafarers have contributed immensely to the growth of the economy of this nation and we are saying they should be given palliative as incentives to cushion the effect of their sufferings on board the vessel.
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