By Frank Odinukaeze
The President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Prince Adewale Adeyanju has stated that the Union has ensured that the issue of casualization of dockworkers is now a thing of the past, even though there is still much to be done in that regard.
Prince Adeyanju while answering questions at the round table discussion organized by the Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), on Thursday at the Association’s Secretariat at Apapa, noted that before now, the dockworkers were treated like orphans without any hope. But today, the Maritime Workers Union, under his leadership, has completely changed the narrative as the dockworkers are not only respected and recognized as valuable contributors to the growth of the industry but are now pensionable.
Prince Adeyanju noted that casuallization or any name it is given is a ‘virus’.
His words,” In any place in the world, casual workers have no home, and this is the case we have been making over the years. Before now there was nothing like pension or gratuity but with new trends in the ports now, which is favourable to the dockworkers, we can see peace in the ports. Because we have Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with their employers ,midwives by Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), who are the regulating agencies monitoring the dockworkers activities in the ports”.
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Prince Adeyanju, who is àlso the Deputy Vice President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) further stated that in other to address the issue of casual workers, the union reached agreement with relevant operators and agreed on three modes of operations that takes care of all categories of dockworkers.
“So we have three modes of operations that have taken care of this virus called casuals. We have permanent employment within the rank and file of the dockworkers. There is what we call, payment by tonnage .This means that the tonnage the vessel brought would be shared amongst all the people that worked on board that vessel. And that depends on the volume .The Union equally fight for their terminal benefits, and their pension. So all the dockworkers in the ports today are pensionable and they are entitled to their terminal benefits,: pension and gratuity.
Prince Adeyanju however stated that despite these achievements recorded by the union, a lot more needs to be done as the issue of casuals is not completely settled.
He said, “I have not completed my assignment. We are still going to do more for the average dockworkers in the shipping industry.”
The MWUN President-General noted that the dockworkers are the engine room of operation in the industry, and should be accorded the respect they deserve.
“Over the years, the dockworkers were looked down upon as common slaves in their father’s land but today, they have father and they have mother. And that father and mother is the Union umbrella which covers all the dockworkers in the sector” Adeyanju opined.
On the issue of the International Oil Companies (IOCs),the MWUN President-General noted that there has been remarkable improvement in their compliance level, stressing that the IOCs have penchant for disregarding and undermining government directives. He vowed that the Union will longer condone the recalcitrant attitude of the IOCs.
“It is unfortunate that the IOCs who came from abroad to invest in our resources are not obeying laws and directives given by government, otherwise how can seven days directive by government to the IOCs for compliance take many years to be effected? We are not going to take that anymore. That flagrant disregard for government directives must stop” he maintained.
Prince Adeyanju who informed that the NPA has reviewed upwards the salaries of dockworkers also showered special encomiums on the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr.Bashir Jamoh, for his great performance since taking over as the DG of NIMASA.
He said “Dr. Jamoh has performed creditably well. He has brought so many innovations and has greatly improved the Maritime industry”.
He suggested that appointments to agencies like NPA, NiMASA and others should be based on those who have deep knowledge of the industry, as this will bring about great value and improvement in the maritime industry.
On whether there should be established a maritime Ministry, Adeyanju, noted that it is not the creation of Maritime Ministry that is important but efficient management.
According to him,” What is important is efficiency. If there is no efficiency among the management team, it will still boil down to the same problem”.
Earlier the President of MAJAN, Mr Ray Ugochukwu while welcoming the MWUN President-General noted that dockworkers have gone through transformation since he took over as the President. He said Prince Adeyanju as a maritime icon has brought so much improvement on both the workers and the union in particular, noting that today the union has more than ever before become formidable and effective.