Seaport wages: MWUN reveals details of 2 years NJIC agreement

FOLLOWING criticism by a section of some seaport workers that its leadership under the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has signed away its fortune by agreeing not to ask for wages and salary review under a two-year deal at the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), the President-General of the MWUN, Comrade Tony Nted has revealed to the Nigerian Tribune details of the agreement it signed with the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN).

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, Tony Nted explained that only seaport workers that are not in tune with prevailing economic conditions in Nigeria will feel bad about the two years NJIC agreement.

According to him, “the two years agreement we signed at the NJIC with the STOAN has a clause which states that if economic conditions improves before June/July, we will review the agreement. The first year of the agreement comes to an end this June/July.

“If things change, and the economy improve; and vessels start calling at Nigerian seaports, then we will activate the clause in the agreement. Otherwise, the agreement will stay for two years.

“Anybody who queries the agreement maybe is not in tune with present prevailing economic conditions in the country as I speak. The recession in Nigeria today calls for concern. It is better for seaport workers to retain their jobs than lose it.

“Throughout the month of December 2016, there was no single vessel at the ports. Don’t forget that we have three types of membership operation: Time related which is permanent employment, Unit payment on containers, and Tonnage payment. If we want an increase in wages and salaries of our workers, we normally fight for increment on all fronts of our operations.

“But right now, it is not even possible for any company to review salaries upwards due to prevailing economic conditions. Look at NLNG, our members there had their salaries reduced because the company could not cope. The workers are even begging for the company to reduce their salaries so that they can remain in service.

“Meanwhile, others have been sacking. For example, APM Terminals operation has reduced by 40 per cent due to prevailing economic conditions. We are all humans and understand that things are very bad.

“Since I started my unionism career, I have always been negotiating upward review of my members’ salaries and wages. But this is the worst period in my career all because Nigeria’s economy has moved into recession.

“When other countries in the world get into recession, they try to make things work while in recession. Ours is not different to others. It should not be all about shouting and banging on tables, we the workers know that things are very difficult for now.

“What we signed is that there will be no negotiation within the period of the two years, however, if things improve before then, we can call for re-negotiation by June or July. The first year terminates by June 2017. But if situations remain the same, then the agreement will persist for the period of the two years.”

It would be recalled that seaport workers under the umbrella body of the MWUN and seaport operators under STOAN had signed a two-year agreement at the NIMASA engineered NJIC to suspend agitation for salary and wages review upwards due to prevailing economic conditions in the country.