By Victor-Ahiuma-Young
Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has waded into the rift between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, and the International Oil Companies, IOCs, over perceived breach of local content act and other extant Labour laws.
Following the NPA’s intervention, the leaders of MWUN, have extended the seven-day strike notice to the Federal Government to compel the IOCs to respect the local content law among others allegedly being breached by the IOCs in the past eight years.
Recall that the union had on April 9, issued a seven-day strike notice over alleged non-compliance of the IOCs to extant Stevedoring regulations and the Marine/Government Notice No. 106 on Stevedoring regulations 2014, issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
READ ALSO: IOCs send operational agreements to 10 stevedoring companies
The extant stevedoring/ marine notice is the operational guidelines to all dock labour employers and private operators of any work location including ports, jetties, onshore or offshore oil and gas or bonded terminals, inland container depots (ICDs), off-dock terminals, dry ports and platforms.
The law stipulates that government-appointed and NIMASA registered stevedores and dockworkers shall be allowed access by the IOCs to the operational areas allocated to them by the NPA.
In a statement, Wednesday, by MWUN’s President-General and Secretary-General, Prince Adewale Adeyanju and Felix Akinboye, respectively, the union among others, said: “We wish to further inform the general public that the seven days notice for the International Oil Companies to comply with the extant Stevedore Regulations has been extended till the close of work by 6pm on Friday, April 23.
“This followed the Nigerian Ports Authority management plea for a delayed action till Friday, April 23, to enable her (NPA) intervene and prevail on the IOCs to comply with the extant Stevedore Regulations.
“Accordingly, if they fail to comply, the union shall have no other option than embark on a nationwide industrial action to press home its demand.”
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.