Union block Stevedores from CBA
Union block Stevedores from CBA
BY FUNMI ALUKO
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has said it will no longer accept the middle man role of stevedoring firms in the negotiation and payments of welfare packages for dockworkers; even as he slammed stevedores for shortchanging dockworkers.
President General of the MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju dropped this hint aftermath of the signing of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, between it, terminal operators and relevant government agencies in the industry.
Adeyanju said the signing of the CBA midwife by Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has effectively phased away the necessity for stevedores, most of which he described as faceless, hitherto.
The Union leader made above disclosure last week while briefing members of the dockworkers branch of the union on the contents of the newly signed CBA in Lagos. The CBA is documented agreement between employers and the trade union stating terms and conditions of employment.
According to Adeyanju, “Our employers are the terminal operators and not stevedoring companies. We don’t know them because they are not our employers. This time around we will make sure that all the responsibilities are of the terminal operators and not the stevedoring contractors.
“We are all working with the terminal operators and all entitlements and terminal benefits will now come from the concessionaires and not the stevedoring companies as it were in the past.
“Accidents of workers aboard vessels which used to be handled by stevedoring companies are no longer there as the terminal operators with the union and the P&I Club in directly now in charge”, adding “what the stevedores were paying dockworkers that had accidents were nothing to write home about.”
While commending the leadership of NPA, NIMASA and that of Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria, STOAN, for a successful midwife of the process, Adeyanju charged District Chairmen to ensure hitch free implementation of the CBA.
In a related development, the Adeyanju led executive has appointed the immediate past President General of MWUN, Comrade Tony Emmanuel Nted as pioneer chairman of its newly established Advisory Council. A statement by the union said the council will consist of all former president generals, presidents and general secretaries, across the respective branches of the union.
Adeyanju explained that the gesture is to foster togetherness and development, and tap from their wealth of experience in tackling present challenges.