By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & ALICE FESTUS

LAGOS — THE Federal Government, yesterday, in Abuja, said it will soon come out with strict guidelines to regulate the employment of contract staff and casual workers in the Maritime sector of the economy as part of its decent job agenda.

This came as Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, said workers’ welfare and the growth of maritime industry will remain its focal point.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, at the opening ceremony of 3rd Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of MWUN,  said the guidelines will address labour concerns over increasing cases of contract staff and casual workers by employers.

He recalled that similar guidelines had been put in place by the Federal Government to address such issues in the oil and gas sector.

Wogu listed efforts by the government through its ministry to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, MLC, 2006 towards ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the maritime workers and seafarers in Nigeria.

He said the maritime sector was a high employment generating industry hence government will continue to do what was necessary to not only create jobs but sustain decent jobs in the sector.

He called on the leaders of the union to ensure that  industrial peace was maintained because the sector was very important to the nation’s economy “as the gateway to the Nigeria economy.”

President-General of union, Mr. Anthony Nted,  said:  “The current threat to further privatize the remaining functions of Nigeria ports is unacceptable, anti-society and unpatriotic.”