Nigeria Dockworker are having a better deal now with their employers, as they are all pensionable and better remunerated as their counterparts across the globe.
The good news was given by the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade (Prince) Adewale Adeyanju during an exclusive chat with our corresponding in Lagos.
He said gone are the days Nigeria dockworkers were paid peanuts and treated dismally revealing that there are no contract staffs as dockworkers anymore in Nigeria.
Adeyanju who said the three categories of employments for dockworkers are duly certified with all engaged as full employees with benefits also confirmed the Union’s commitment to dockworkers welfare.
He said “Gone are the days Nigerian dockworker were paid peanuts, now they are fully pensionable and are engage in full employment and when they retired they are entitled to their pensions”.
On curtailing untimely death of dockerworkers in the terminals, he said the terminal operators are putting up safety measures to avoid accidental deaths in their terminals and where such happens, the Union quickly steps in to make sure the victim’s family is fully compensated, stating that such accidents have reduced drastically.
Adeyanju also commended the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for providing succour to Nigerian dockworker through their regulatory role and making sure operators comply with the rules of engagements with dockworkers.
Commenting on the state of the port access roads and the Union’s ultimatum to the Federal Government which ended in June, the MWUN President said his union is committed to making sure the Federal Government keeps to its promise of repairing the ports access roads.
He however commended the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman for showing commitment on the construction of the port access road at the Apapa-Ijora axis and hope that the federal government will do same to the Mile 2- Tincan Island road which he described as very bad .
Adeyanju also commended the efforts of the past leaders of the Union for working tirelessly to make sure the Nigerian dockworker have a better deal and that has paid off.
He promised to always fight for the betterment of all dockworkers and that no employer will be allowed to enslave any dockworker in Nigeria anymore.
