The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has decried the nonpayment of nine months of salaries owed to its members employed by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN.
The union has called on the federal government to intervene and ensure the payment of the salary arrears without further delay to avoid an industrial crisis.
In a statement, Deputy Secretary General of the Union, Oniha Erazua, on behalf of Secretary General, Felix Akingboye, said: "MWUN wishes to bring to the notice of the general public the continued nonpayment of nine months of salaries owed to our members by the management of CRFFN.
"We wish to further inform the general public that MWUN, as a responsible union, has gone through and exhausted all processes of reaching an amicable resolution of the matter, including issuing various ultimatums, which were ignored by the Acting Registrar of CRFFN. "Despite this, the management of CRFFN continues to disregard resolutions reached at several mediatory meetings, including the one held in Abuja on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, and other infractions of the rights of our members to payment of their wages.
"We are even more dismayed that the management of CRFFN, in nonchalant disregard to one of the resolutions of our meetings, which states that going forward, payment of staff salaries shall be the first line of charge and available funds shall be used for this purpose, and there shall be no diversion of available funds into any other expense where staff salaries are yet to be paid, still went ahead to organize a training for some selected staff, leaving behind a humongous cache of unpaid salaries.
"It is therefore worrisome to us as a union that, despite extending a hand of fellowship and showing willingness to engage and collaborate with the management of CRFFN, led by the Acting Registrar, CRFFN still conducts its affairs in ways inimical to the well-being and welfare of our members while trampling on the rights of our members to the gainful enjoyment of their earned salaries. MWUN can no longer stand idle and watch the impunity being displayed by CRFFN.
Maritime workers threaten to shut nation's ports over 9 months unpaid salaries
By Victor AhiumaYoung
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has decried the nonpayment of nine months of salaries owed to its members employed by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN.
The union has called on the federal government to intervene and ensure the payment of the salary arrears without further delay to avoid an industrial crisis.
In a statement, Deputy Secretary General of the Union, Oniha Erazua, on behalf of Secretary General, Felix Akingboye, said: "MWUN wishes to bring to the notice of the general public the continued nonpayment of nine months of salaries owed to our members by the management of CRFFN.
"We wish to further inform the general public that MWUN, as a responsible union, has gone through and exhausted all processes of reaching an amicable resolution of the matter, including issuing various ultimatums, which were ignored by the Acting Registrar of CRFFN. "Despite this, the management of CRFFN continues to disregard resolutions reached at several mediatory meetings, including the one held in Abuja on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, and other infractions of the rights of our members to payment of their wages.
"We are even more dismayed that the management of CRFFN, in nonchalant disregard to one of the resolutions of our meetings, which states that going forward, payment of staff salaries shall be the first line of charge and available funds shall be used for this purpose, and there shall be no diversion of available funds into any other expense where staff salaries are yet to be paid, still went ahead to organize a training for some selected staff, leaving behind a humongous cache of unpaid salaries.
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"It is therefore worrisome to us as a union that, despite extending a hand of fellowship and showing willingness to engage and collaborate with the management of CRFFN, led by the Acting Registrar, CRFFN still conducts its affairs in ways inimical to the well-being and welfare of our members while trampling on the rights of our members to the gainful enjoyment of their earned salaries. MWUN can no longer stand idle and watch the impunity being displayed by CRFFN.
"MWUN uses this medium to put the general public on notice that should the management of CRFFN continue to withhold the nine months arrears of salary owed to our members, who are their employees, we will have no other alternatives than to totally withdraw the services of our members in the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dock labor, Shipping & Freight forwarding agencies, and Seamen from all ports, jetties, terminals, and Oil and Gas platforms nationwide. All authorities should please take note."
