Maritime workers vow to withdraw services if Covid-19 spreads at seaports

FOLLOWING the infection of a Tin-Can Island port worker with Covid-19 disease, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has said that it will withdraw its members from the ports if the disease is allowed to spread.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju wondered why the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the affected terminal operator are yet to brief maritime workers on the efforts being put in place to contain the disease.

According to Adeyanju, “As I speak to you now, none of the terminals has briefed the maritime workers on what they are doing to contain the spread of the disease. For the past three weeks, we have been going round all the port terminals to sensitise our members who work inside these port terminals.

“Now we have a Covid-19 case at Tin-Can Island port, yet even the affected port terminal is yet to brief us on the development despite the fact that they know our members work inside their port terminal. As I speak to you, we are getting scared that the lives of our members are being put at risk of contacting the deadly virus. The infected port worker obviously came to work last, I think on the 17th of April. He must have greeted some people while inside the port terminal. The people he greeted could have interfaced with our members who work deep inside the terminal. These are trying times and the lives of our members are exposed to this danger.”

When asked what the maritime workers would do if the Covid-19 case escalates at the ports, the MWUN President-General stated that the association could be forced to withdraw the services of its members from the port area to safeguard lives.

“If the Covid-19 infection escalates at the ports, we might be forced to withdraw the services of our members from the affected port terminal, and ultimately shut down the place. We hold the safety of our members in high esteem and would not allow them to come into jeopardy.

“Every day, we go from one terminal to the other to sensitise our members on safety precaution. That is why we were so disappointed to read the news of Covid-19 infection at Tin-Can Island port in the news. We thought because our members are the ones that interface with vessels when they arrive at the ports, we would have been briefed by the terminal operator immediately the incident occurred. However, up till now, we are yet to hear from the NPA or the terminal operator concerning the measures put in place to ensure our members are safe.”

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