Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has restated its resolve to shut down activities at AP Moller Terminal (APMT) in Apapa over poor salaries and alleged mistreatment of workers by management of the company.
In a statement jointly signed by President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju and Secretary-General of the union, Felix Akingboye, it said it had engaged the management of APMT four times and that each meeting ended in a stalemate.
They accused APMT of neglect and utter regard for the welfare of the workers, adding that the management of the terminal was offering the workers very poor salary far below the industry standard and without room for negotiations.
“APMT Nigeria has overwhelmingly exceeded its projected profits and return on investments (RoIs) and our members have been a critical factor to its achievements. We are, therefore, appalled that our members), who toil day and night to achieve the height the company have been continually denied enjoyment of a fair share of their hard work.
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“The leadership of MWUN on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 met with the management of APMT to discuss a review of the conditions of service or collective bargaining for our members for the year 2022. The meeting was the fourth in a series of meetings and all attempts to resolve the lingering issues raised during the negotiations, but like the others, it ended in a stalemate.
“This is as a result of the refusal of the management of APMT to concede to the workers demand for appropriate and industry compliant increase in their salaries across board. The union has long noted that APMT has no modicum of regard for the welfare of its employees, who are largely Nigerian workers,” the statement reads.
The union also lamented management’s penchant for hiring foreign personnel in utter disregard for recruiting Nigerians, who are qualified for the responsibilities of the positions, as demanded by the country’s local content laws. “Also of note is the disparity in the salaries and allowances of foreign personnel and Nigerian employees, who perform the same functions.
As a union, we are aggrieved at the mistreatment of our members and we can no longer tolerate this. “Consequently, the MWUN should not be held liable in the event of disruption of industrial peace and harmony at the APMT Terminal,” the statement added.
