– Opt for negotiations
– N10bn lost to strike – Shipping firm
Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — The leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday suspended a strike it embarked upon to press for a minimum payment standard across the Nigerian maritime industry.
This was contained in a communiqué issued and signed by both the President of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju and Mr. Ascanio Russo, President of the Shipping Companies Agencies and Freight Forwarders Employers Association, as both parties agreed to establish an acceptable minimum standard on the condition of service in the shipping industry especially on gratuity.
The parties also agreed to a timeline of one month starting from June 5th, 2023, for completion of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, an official of one of the affected shipping Companies, Mr. Bashiru Adesina, Group Chief Accountant of Comet Shipping said that nothing less than N10billion was lost as a result of the strike yesterday.
Part of the agreement reached at the meeting called by the management of the Nigerian Shippers Council reads: “The Nigerian Shippers Council mediated on strike action embarked upon by the Maritime Workers Union, resulting from a breakdown of negotiations between Union and Shipping Companies Agencies and Freight Forwarders Employers Association, SCAFFEA on minimum standard condition of service in the shipping industry.
“Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and Shipping Companies Agencies and Freight Forwarders Employers Association expressed commitment for sincere negotiation on the Minimum Standard of Condition of Service in the Industry
“Parties agreed to a timeline of One (1) Month starting from Monday 5″ June 2023 to 4″ July 2023 for completion of the negotiations. Parties to establish an acceptable Minimum Standards on the Condition of Service in the Shipping Industry especially on gratuity.”
Recall that the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, issued a seven-day ultimatum for shipping companies to sign a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the workers or face withdrawal of services.
President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju had disclosed at a press conference at the union’s secretariat in Apapa, Lagos, said that the seven-day ultimatum began from June 5, 2023, saying that it is unfortunate that the employers of labour in the shipping companies have been unwilling to meet with the union to negotiate the welfare package of the workers,
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