Maritime workers issue a 7-day strike notice.

By G9ija

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has issued a seven-day strike notice over the planned acquisition of Tin Can Island Container Terminal, TICT, and Bollore Transport and Logistics Nigeria Limited by Mediterranean Shipping Company, MSC.

The union lamented that the fate of workers and their welfare have been kept in the dark by the owners of the two firms; threatening to shut the ports’ operations of the affected at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum should the management of the two companies fail to provide answers to its questions.   

President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, faulted the continued refusal of TICT and Bollore to respond to inquiries by the union on the acquisition plan, lamenting that the union had first written to both companies on September 14, 2022, to know the fate of its members but the companies have since remained deliberately refused to engage the union.

He said, “As a result, We have no other option than to issue a seven-day ultimatum to both TICT and Bollore demanding to know the fate of its members and the next line of action in the event of management change regarding the retention of our members’ jobs or payoff.”

MWUN in a letter dated November 14, 2022, addressed to the management of both companies by a deputy Secretary-General of MWUN, Oniha Erazua on behalf of the Union’s Secretary-General, Felix Akingboye, the union threatened that at the expiration of the seven-day notice, it would be “forced to withdraw its services from the ports if its demands are not met. This has become necessary in the face of rising agitation and restiveness over the secrecy of the whole process and the likely aftermath of the acquisition on our members’ job retention or outright payoff.”

A copy of the letter sighted by Vanguard entitled: Re- Important Announcement from Cyrille Bollore: Demand to Know the Fate of Our Members”  reads in part, “We are surprised that despite the very sensitive and germane matter the letter sought the answer to, your management is yet to respond, thereby giving room to suspicion and negative speculations on the fate of our members- your employers, at the end of the company’s acquisition process.

“On the strength of the above and given the increasing restiveness of our members in the employ, I am directed to give you notice of a seven-day ultimatum starting from the date of this letter within which your management is expected to furnish us with the information requested.

“Please note that the union would take all necessary redemptive means to protect the interest of our members, including withdrawing our services at the expiration of this ultimatum.”