Ports: Maritime Workers Protest, Accuse APMT of Racism, Block Entrance Gate
By Our Correspondent
Members of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Thursday morning protested against the AP Moller Terminal (APMT) in what led to the grounding of operations at the Apapa, Lagos, terminal.
The Union accused the terminal operator of breach of Nigerian content law by employing expatriate staff for jobs that are meant for Nigerians.
Before now, the Union had given a one week notice to the company to address the issue or face the wrath of members.
The workers had as early as 8am this morning gathered at the entrance gate of the ports stopping workers from gaining entrance into the terminal.
Executive members of the Union who spearheaded the protest were seen at the entrance of the terminal with placards showing their displeasure about happenings in the organisation.
Some of the placards read: “we say no to racism”, “we say no to scrapping of any department in our terminal.”
It was gathered that one of the grievances of the Union was the plan to outsource the security department in the organisation to foreigners.
According to the Union, the protest will continue until the terminal operator reverses some of its decisions that are clearly against the local content law.
The President of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, told newsmen that the terminal operators when confronted had admitted to the engagement of some foreigners to do some jobs for which Nigerians are capable of doing.
He blamed the APMT Country Manager, Mr. Klaus Laursen, as the brain behind the new trend in engaging foreigners in jobs that Nigerians can do.
Officials of the terminal operator could not be reached for their own side of the story as at the time of filing this report.
Members of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Thursday morning protested against the AP Moller Terminal (APMT) in what led to the grounding of operations at the Apapa, Lagos, terminal.
The Union accused the terminal operator of breach of Nigerian content law by employing expatriate staff for jobs that are meant for Nigerians.
Before now, the Union had given a one week notice to the company to address the issue or face the wrath of members.
The workers had as early as 8am this morning gathered at the entrance gate of the ports stopping workers from gaining entrance into the terminal.
Executive members of the Union who spearheaded the protest were seen at the entrance of the terminal with placards showing their displeasure about happenings in the organisation.
Some of the placards read: “we say no to racism”, “we say no to scrapping of any department in our terminal.”
It was gathered that one of the grievances of the Union was the plan to outsource the security department in the organisation to foreigners.
According to the Union, the protest will continue until the terminal operator reverses some of its decisions that are clearly against the local content law.
The President of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, told newsmen that the terminal operators when confronted had admitted to the engagement of some foreigners to do some jobs for which Nigerians are capable of doing.
He blamed the APMT Country Manager, Mr. Klaus Laursen, as the brain behind the new trend in engaging foreigners in jobs that Nigerians can do.
Officials of the terminal operator could not be reached for their own side of the story as at the time of filing this report.
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