Victor Ahiuma-Young
16 July 2004
MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has vowed that come July 29, the entire maritime industry in Nigeria will be shut down should government fail to positively address any of the issues both the union and its Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Senior Staff counterpart raised in the ultimatum handed down to government last week.
President-General of MWUN, Comrade Onikoalese Irabor told Vanguard that the workers never wanted the situation to degenerate into this level, but for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) which decided to do things its own way irrespective of feelings and contribution of other stakeholders.
Comrade Irabor did not hid his anger when he asked: "Can you imagine a government that is talking about creating seven million jobs through NEEDS also planning to sack 75 per cent of the workers (about 9,750 out of 13,000) in the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) through the World Bank financed ports reform programme? We are not a party to that. It is not only that.
The NPA, going by the reforms agenda, would be scrapped and in its place, there would be Lagos Ports, Warri Ports, Calabar Ports and stuffs like that". According to him, all activities in the nation's ports would be paralysed should the authorities fail to address the concerns of the workers in the sector in the planned ports concessioning programme scheduled to commence in September.
The two unions in the nation's maritime sector, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) branch of the Senior Staff Association of Utilities, Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), had on July 8, given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to halt the alleged planned sacking of 75 per cent of the workforce in the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the scrapping of NPA through the Word Bank financed ports reforms, failing which the workers would withdraw their services and shut down the nation's ports.
MWUN President-General alleged that contrary to a social plan agreed by stakeholders, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) "secretly submitted a report different from that of the stakeholders where we have settled all issues about workers to be affected in the reforms process". Unfortunately, the report BPE and others submitted to President Obasanjo has no such plan. The unions in the industry have been completely sidelined for reasons we do not know.
Again, the dockworkers were not mentioned in the report submitted to government. They plan to scrap NPA and in its place, they are planning Lagos Ports, Warri Ports, Calabar Ports and similar things in areas that are close to the sea. They have also single handedly drafted ports amendment act to this effect. There are other issues which we have raised in our ultimatum to the appropriate authorities. So, at the expiration of the ultimatum, if any of these concerns is not addressed, we will shut down the sector".
The ultimatum signed by the President-General and General Secretary of MWUN, Comrades Onikoalese Irabor and S .A Ubani as well as the President and Secretary of NPA branch of SSASCGOC, Comrades P. Abolarin and A.N Inyang respectively read: "The two house unions in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), that is, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Senior Staff Association of Utilities, Statutory Corporation and Government Companies, NPA Branch are constrained to issue a 21 day ultimatum to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ministry of Transport and the Nigerian Ports Authority Management on the on-going ports reform. This ultimatum is premised on the following points: Bureau of Public Enterprises recommendation to the Federal Government and the clandestine plan to retrench not fewer than 75 per cent of the NPA workforce.
which negates item (ii) of the Joint Communique signed on 20th January, 2004 by the Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Hon. Minister of Transport and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority together with the two House Unions".
"Deliberate act on the part of the Bureau of Public Enterprises in refusing to discuss Labour issues as they affect NPA employees with the House Unions since the commencement of the Ports Reform programme.
Refusal of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to involve the House Unions and other stakeholders in the drafting of the Ports Amendment Act which is the bed rock of the Ports Reform before the submission of same to the Presidency. Refusal of the BPE and the World Bank in involving the House Unions in the general Ports Reform programme. Plan by the Bureau of Public Enterprises to hand over Nigerian Ports Authority to states and local governments where the ports exist to the detriment of other states of the federation.
Secret plan by the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the World Bank to sell Nigerian Ports Authority to their cronies under the guise of Port Reforms, contrary to the genuine intention of the Federal Government. Plan by the BPE and the World Bank to exterminate the Nigerian Ports Authority. Deliberate omission of the Dockworkers issue/existence in the Ports Reform programme by the BPE. Calculated plan to deny the Dockworkers of their legitimate rights/benefits in the entire Ports Reform programme".
The ultimatum added: "Based on the foregoing, the House Unions hereby totally reject the recommendation of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the World Bank titled (i) Draft Reform of Nigerian Ports Authority Final Concessioning Plan and (ii) Reform of Nigerian Ports Authority Frame-Work for the Restructuring of Nigerian Ports Authority. To this end, we strongly call on the Federal Government and all well-meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene in order to protect our nation's sea-ports and economy.
Note that the House Unions will not be held liable for any unpleasant consequence arising from the failure to correct these anomalies. This ultimatum takes effect from Thursday 8th July, 2004".
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