Sam Ikeotuonye 11 January 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos – President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Mr. Anthony Nted, has lamented job insecurity in the maritime sector, saying workers were losing their jobs as many firms were shutting down operations due to hard times.
Citing the nation’s economic crisis, the labour leader said traffic at the ports had reached a low ebb with cargo diversion to other countries and foreign exchange scarcity taking further toll on activities at the ports.
According to him, it had become increasingly difficult to protect the union members from job losses and to bargain for improved conditions of service.
He said: “Where collective bargaining agreement and conditions of services negotiations are due for review, the union is forced to accept marginal increases where possible and trading off increment with withdrawal of redundancy threats.
“We appeal to the government to find urgent solution to the recession before it escalates”.
It was recently reported that about 7,000 dockworkers lost their jobs last year due to the nation’s economic crisis and the hardship faced by companies.