By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, yesterday, waded into the dispute between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, and shipping companies operating in Nigeria, over the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, and poor remuneration of workers.

The Union had issued a 7-day strike notice to shipping companies in Nigeria, over alleged anti-labour practices, threatening to cripple the operations of the shipping companies at the expiration of the notice, if its grievances were not addressed.

The strike notice was to compel the shipping firms, under the aegis of the Shipping Association of Nigeria, SAN, to sign a CBA with the union, failing which workers would withdraw their services from the companies.

But the MWUN, in a statement said it was suspending the strike notice following the Minister’s intervention through the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC.

The statement reads: “The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, under the leadership of the President General, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, has suspended the seven-day ultimatum over the refusal of employers of labour in the shipping sector to negotiate the minimum standard of remuneration and conditions of service for workers in the shipping industry.

“The suspension of the ultimatum by the Union is coming on the heels of Nigeria Shippers Council, NSC’s, intervention on the said matter has given strong indication to the Union on resolving the issue.”