The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, or MWUN, leadership yesterday called off a strike it had called to demand a minimum wage norm for the entire Nigerian maritime industry.
This was stated in a communiqué that Comrade Adewale Adeyabju, President of MWUN, and Mr. Ascanio Russo, President of the Shipping Companies Agencies and Freight Forwarders Employers Association, issued and signed. Both parties agreed to establish a minimum standard for service conditions in the shipping industry, particularly with regard to gratuity.
The parties also decided on a deadline of one month for the negotiations’ conclusion, which will begin on June 5th, 2023.
According to Mr. Bashiru Adesina, Group Chief Accountant of Comet Shipping, a representative of one of the impacted shipping firms, no less than N10 billion 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, NSC, 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”, it added.
Recall that MWUN had sent a strike warning to shipping businesses, asking them to affix their names to a template or minimum standard for the sector.
At a news conference last week, Adeyanju revealed that the shipping companies’ labor bosses had refused to meet with the union to discuss the workers’ welfare package.
