The management of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has appealed to striking dockworkers at APM Terminal to give the Council the necessary atmosphere to resolve contending issues.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Emmanuel Jime, who led the management team during a visit to the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Thursday, also pleaded with the union to give the Council some time to engage the management of the APMT in order to bring peace between the two warring parties.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the President General of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, commended the management of the Shippers’ Council for its various efforts in the maritime industry.
Adeyanju expressed disappointment with the attitude of APM Terminal management, specifically its “hire & fire” system.
He also complained about the poor retirement package APMT gives its employees.
Also speaking at the meeting was the District chairman, APMT, Com. Tunde Balogun spoke about APM Terminal’s employment of foreign workers instead of Nigerians, demotion of staff in order to accommodate expatriates in higher positions of the organization and the employment of alleged inexperienced workers in high positions in the organization.
He also bemoaned the discriminatory payment structure of the organization.
Adeyanju promised that the union will consider the plea of the Council in order to end the strike action.
It would be recalled that the angry dockworkers commenced a warning three-day strike on Wednesday to ask for a wage increase and protest the alleged ill-treatment of Nigerian workers by the APMT management.
