Approve increase in terminal charges or we’ll shut down ports, MWUN warns Shippers’ Council

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has vowed to shut down port operations if the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) fails to approve the request for an upward review of terminal charges by seaport terminal operators.

Several attempts by the terminal operators to review their charges due to the general inflation rate and increasing operational costs have been opposed by the NSC who insisted that such charges must be negotiated and approved by the Council as port economic regulator.

Speaking with journalists at the union’s secretariat in Lagos on Monday, President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju said the union is making a case for an increase in terminal charges to enable terminal operators fulfil their financial obligations to dockworkers and other shipping workers who are members of the union.

Adeynaju said as a result of the prevailing economic conditions in the country the terminal operators have expressed concern that they may not be able to honour the provisions of the minimum standards of docklabour, which they recently signed with the union except they are allowed to increase their charges.

He said, “The Shippers’ Council should wade into this matter because this is a serious matter and if nothing is done, we will shut down the port. We are only appealing now that they should sit down and review the terminal operators’ tariff.

“If the terminal operators are asking for a review in their tariff and it has not been reviewed for close to 10 years and they have obligations to the workers, how will they fulfill it? Now we are going for Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for dockworkers and some of them (terminal operators) have been complaining. Is the naira and dollar the same equivalent now?

“The terminal operators have been engaging the service of dockworkers over the years so people should not be saying the union is selfish for stating the obvious reality. Over the years the tariff of the operators has always increased so why are they stopping them from increasing their tariff or is it until we shut down the port because they are not ready to negotiate dockworkers CBA? Dockworkers CBA is next month and we have been getting reactions from the terminal operators. If they don’t review the take home of the dockworkers, we know what is going to happen because the operators are trying to tie it to the review of their charges.

“If we don’t get any reaction from Shippers’ Council or NPA, we might be forced to shut down port operations. We are not giving ultimatum on this matter but anything can happen.”

When asked if the upward review in charges will not further increase the price of vehicles and other goods and services, Adeyanju quizzed, ” Even when they have not increased their tariff, is the cost of vehicles not high?  Can any one of us afford new cars?

“If you don’t review dockworkers wages for two years and they are tying it to tariffs, something needs to be done. Not only the dockworkers but workers in the shipping branch because some of the shipping companies have commenced their CBA but they are complaining bitterly.”