Labour petitions Minister over activities of shipping companies

MEMBERS of the Maritme Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have forwarded a petition to the Minister of Transport over what they described as the “activities of some shipping companies, consignees/agents.”

  Urging the Minister to intervene as part of measure to avoid nationwide industrial unrest, MWUN described activities of the shipping companies as “anti-workers and inimical to the nation’s economy.

  The union in the petition dated July 11, 2016, alleged that some of the affected shipping companies would berth without submitting their manifests to the Stevedoring Contractors for billing or allowing all the statutory bodies to board the vessels for inspection

 MWUN in the petition by its President-General, Tony Nted Emmanuel and F.S Akingboye on behalf of the Secretary General, accused some officials of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) of conniving with some people for personal gains at the expense of the nation’s  workers in the Ports, especially Dockworkers.

 The petition alleged that the latest are M.V. Eide and M.V. Hawk Vessels that berthed on Monday July 5, 2016 at Chevron EGPL jetty, calling for the immediate arrest of consignees/ agents

 According to the petition: “This call is premised on the ground that M.V.EIDE which berthed on Monday 5^th July 2016 at Chevron EGPL jetty neither submitted its manifest to the Stevedoring Contractors for billing nor allowed all the Statutory bodies to board the vessels for inspection.

 “M.V EIDE which carried jack ups barges and containers berthed on 5^th July 2016 and the following day, it moved to Mid-Stream to discharge.

 “Photocopies  of the vessels are attached for sighting. We wish to state that this is  not the first time the Consignees/ Agents is Deep Front Liner, in the same manner came and discharged at Bonny Mid-Stream on 15^th October 2015, sailed without payment of the Stevedoring charges. This, no doubt amounted to economic sabotage and a deprivation of Dockworkers legitimate earnings.

 “We believe that there is somebody somewhere in Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) who is aiding and abetting these Consignees/ Agents and this must be investigated. This is an unwholesome practice that must not be allowed to continue hence we are calling on the  Minister to order the immediate arrest of the Consignees/Agents”.

 *Contact Editor through Citybusinessnews@yahoo.com