To avoid a shut down of the nation’s maritime industry operations, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, has intervened in recent faceoff between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and marginal field operators of the oil and gas industry over non-compliance with stevedoring regulations.
The NPA boss formally made the move on Monday when he convened a meeting with the union’s leaders and marginal field operators in Lagos
Addressing the maritime workers during the meeting, Bello-Koko, expressed his readiness to promote industrial harmony as a way of averting the crippling of production platforms in the oil, gas, and allied sectors, which are under the purview of maritime workers.
According to him, it is not desirable for the national economy to be crippled at this time when the Federal Government is doing its best through reform initiatives to grow it.
At the end of the parley, the labour unions leaders and the NPA boss issued a communiqué acknowledging the concerns of the employees and the subsequent postponement of the intended strike.
The meeting was attended by Executive Vice-President (Down Stream) for Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Adedapo Segun; Deputy President Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) /President-General Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Prince Adewale Adeyanju; Port Manager Lagos Port Complex, Charles Okaga and other labour unions leaders.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria had threatened to shut down all oil production and allied platforms due to Stevedores’ failure to remit the 3% MWUN levy, lack of access to work locations, and noncompliance with stevedoring regulations.
