The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), has declared support for terminal operators on the request for a review of tariffs on imported cars and vehicles at the ports.
According to the union, headed by Adewale Adeyanju as president general, said PTML and other terminal operators under the umbrella of the Seaports Terminals Operators (STOAN) have over the years borne the burden of wages, salaries, and allowances of dockworkers.
The union said the terminals cannot further shoulder the burden due to the general inflation rate, deteriorating economic condition; increasing operational/administrative costs; high rate of exchange value and other such economic factors.
“PTML and other terminals operators have indicated their inability to meet the provisions of the minimum standard of dock labour, which they recently negotiated and signed for implementation as supervised by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and NIMASA; unfortunately, the prevailing situation in the nation’s economy had directly hampered their capacity to implement the subsisting NJIC agreement.
“The inability of management to meet its obligations and dockworker’s expectations, there’s now rising tension among the rank and file of dockworkers members in all the terminals, ports, jetties, and all oil and gas platforms.
“We, therefore, call on the management of NSC to give kind consideration to the proposal of PTML and other terminals operators for a review of the vehicle/car tariffs and other freights charges as obtained in ENL, Josepdam, Port and Cargo, and other terminals alike to enable them to meet their obligations to our members – Dockworkers to forestall an imminent break down of industrial peace in our nation’s seaports as they are the economic regulators in this sector,” the union said.
PTML and other terminals recently wrote to the management of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to request an increment in the vehicle/car tariffs which according to them has not been reviewed for over a decade.
