BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & VIVIAN NWOKEDI
LAGOS – THE leadership of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday directed total shut down of all ports operations nationwide today over refusal of terminal operators to review upward the wages of dockworkers since the subsisting condition of service elapsed in June 2010.

However, the shut down would not affect Onne Ports in Rivers, as the union said operators in Onne had complied with union request for a review of the workers condition of service.

President-General of MWUN, Comrade Emmanuel Nted, who announced this development, said the action became necessary following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the terminal operators, under the umbrella of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, STOAN, among other correspondences, to no avail.

STOAN had last week said it could not accede to the union demand, citing unfavourable business environment.

The leadership of MWUN had about two weeks ago issued a 14-day ultimatum to terminal operators in the nation’s seaports to review the minimum standard agreement (condition of service) for dockworkers, failing which the industry would be shut down, lamenting that members had been going through untold hardship because of non-review of the agreement.

According to him, “the dockworkers minimum standard agreement became due for review in June 2010 but up till now, meaningful negotiation has not commenced on the review, despite the one month’s notice served on the Seaport Terminal Operators Association in September 2010.

The dockworkers have now become more restive over the issue, hence our 14-day ultimatum for a reviewed condition of service for the dockworkers to be put in place. As a union, we have done our very best to sustain peace in the industry and cannot be blamed for the consequences of their refusal/failure to heed this alert.”

Comrade Nted who was last Thursday elected a national Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said: “Following the refusal of the terminal operators to review upward the condition of service of the dockworkers and after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, we have ordered that all ports operations nationwide be shut down from tomorrow (today), with the exception of Onne Ports in Rivers.

“The operators in Onne Ports have complied. So, from tomorrow, it will be total shut down.”