By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

LAGOS—MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday, in Lagos, said the increasing outsourcing, casualisation of workers and other forms of anti-workers’ policies in the shipping/courier sector of the nation’s economy were serious inducements for insecurity.

This came as the union called on the Federal Government to reconsider reestablishing another National Shipping Line and recapture the booming maritime industry in Nigeria.

President-General of the Union, Comrade Anthony Nted, at the opening ceremony of Shipping/Courier and Seamen/NIWA Water Transport Workers Branches delegates conference,  warned that organized would no longer tolerate the act of unfair labour practices in the sector.

He said: “All members of the shipping/courier branch are employed by private companies who always strive to maximize profit for their shareholders.

This accounts for the difficulties in condition of service negotiations with these companies. In spite of these difficulties, we still believe that the union’s support in pursuance of the industrial harmony ought to be reciprocated by managements by supporting the union’s training activities etc when needed.

“The increasing outsourcing, casualisation of workers and other forms of anti-workers policies by some management in the shipping/courier sector are serious inducements for insecurity. We want to sound a note of warning that we will no longer accept these unwholesome practices. We therefore advice management to jettison all anti-workers’ policies and embrace personnel motivational policies for higher productivity.”

Nted lamented that the absence of a national fleet of ship was making it difficult for crewing Nigerian Seafarers and called on the Government to urgently address the issues.

He said “we call on the Federal Government to reconsider reestablishing another National Shipping Line and recapture the booming maritime industry in Nigeria. Furthermore, the non-implementation of the Caboutage Law encourages less qualified foreign sailors to take over jobs which by law are reserved for Nigerians.

We therefore demand for strict implementation of the caboutage law by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. This is the only way the gains of the domestication of Maritime Labour Convention 2006, can be impact positively on Nigerian Seafarers.”