In International Shipping News 15/07/2016
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has petitioned the Federal Government through the Minister of Transport over activities of some shipping companies and consignees/agents considered anti-workers and inimical to the nation’s economy, threatening a nationwide industrial unrest, if government fails to intervene urgently.
The union, in the petition dated July 11, 2016, claimed the affected shipping companies would berth without submitting their manifests to the Stevedoring Contractors for billing or allowing statutory bodies to board the vessels for inspection.
MWUN in the petition by its President-General, Tony Nted Emmanuel and F.S Akingboye on behalf of the Secretary General, 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 were 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/ 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 berthed on 5th July 2016 and the following day, it moved to Mid-Stream to discharge. Photocopies (3 Nos) of the vessels are attached for sighting. We wish to state that this is not the first time the Consignees/ Agents in the same manner came and discharged at Bonny Mid-Stream on 15th October 2015, sailed without payment of the Stevedoring charges.
“This, no doubt amounted to economic sabotage and a deprivation of Dockworkers legitimate earnings. We believe there is somebody somewhere in NPA that 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 Minister to order the immediate arrest of the Consignees/Agents.”
