Day of seafarer: Indigenous shipowners bullying, harassing Nigerian seafarers — NMNOWTSSA

THE Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, (NMNOWTSSA) has raised the alarm that many of the bullying and harassment that take place onboard Nigerian vessels are encouraged by Nigerian shipowners against their fellow Nigerian seafarers.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, National President of the NMNOWTSSA, Chief Engr. Bob Joseph Yousuo, while felicitating Nigerian seafarers over the year 2025 Day of the Seafarers celebration, stated that indigenous ship-owners always back expatriates against Nigerian seafarers, leading to harassment and bullying onboard vessels.

According to the NMNOWTSSA President, “the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been able to come up with the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) which has mandated a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) welfare regime for seafarers. But how many of the shipping companies are complying to the CBA?

“Compliance demands implementation. It’s only when we have individual company CBA, that’s when a lot of issues can be addressed. Without an effective CBA, the seafarers are just on their own because nobody is here to guide them or fight for them.

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“This is the issue we are having. Almost 80 percent of Nigerian seafarers, or let’s say 70 percent, does not belong to a Union because the shipping companies doesn’t want them to belong to any union or association.

“So, if they don’t belong to their rightful unions, who is going to fight for them? Who is going to speak for them? The shipowners have the power, they own the vessels. So they keep on doing whatever they like.

“If you go on board a Nigerian vessel where all the senior officers are foreigners, the junior crew who are Nigerians are always subjected to harassment and bullying. Even the ship owners who own the ship would back the foreign officers against the junior Nigerian seafarer if any issues happen on board the vessel.

“The shipowners treat the foreign seafarers as if they are more superior while the Nigerian seafarers who are the crew of the vessel are treated with disdain.

“It’s time the seafarers unite and allow the Unions to speak for them. Its time Nigerian seafarers take their rightful place at their place of work.”