Maritime workers petitions transport minister over alleged illegal activities of shipping companies

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has petitioned the Minister of Transport Rotimi Ameachi over activities of some shipping companies, consignees and agents considered anti-workers and inimical to the nation’s economy.

They urged Ameachi to intervene to forestall a nationwide industrial unrest.The union, in the petition dated July 11, 2016, claimed 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, signed by its President-General, Tony Nted Emmanuel, alleged that there were connivance from some highly placed officials of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for personal gains at the expense of the nation’s and 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 and agents.

According to the petition: “This call is premised on the ground that M.V.EIDE which berthed on Monday 5th 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 on July 5 2016 and the following day, it moved to Mid-Stream to discharge.

We wish to state that this not the first time the Consignees/ Agents is Deep Front Liner, in the same manner came and discharged at Bonny Mid-Stream on October 15 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 Hon. Minister to order the immediate arrest of the Consignees and Agents,” the letter read in part.