SACFEA urges MWUN to picket Hull Blyth over minimum wage non-compliance

The President of the Shipping, Shipping Agencies, Clearing and Forwarding Employers’ Association (SACFEA) Boma Alabi, has urged the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to picket Hull Blyth shipping agency for non-compliance with the N200,000 minimum wage agreement.

Recall that MWUN had last week threatened to shut down the nation’s ports after Hull Blyth publicly distanced itself from the mimimum wage agreement for shipping workers recently signed by the Union and SACFEA.

Speaking at an event to mark the one-year anniversary of the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Pius Akutah’s tenure in Lagos at the weekend, Alabi emphasized SACFEA’s commitment to ensuring that member companies not only meet but exceeds the minimum wage requirements.

According to her, while most member companies are complaint, SACFEA cannot compel non -member companies including Hull Blyth to adhere to the minimum standard.

She, however, appealed that rather than shutting down the nation’s port, affecting operations of those who are compliant, MWUN should picket Hull Blyth for refusing to comply with the minimum wage agreement.

Her words, “On the issue of non-compliance with the minimum wage, let me start by saying that from the employer’s perspective, and I, as Chairman of Shipping Lines Association of Nigeria (SAN) and President of SACFEA, is 100% committed to not just meeting it but exceeding it.

“We understand how crucial our human capital is and that we cannot work without our workers. No question about that. Which is why at the initial stage of our negotiations, I and my comrades here will bear witness, the first engagement was with SAN and I said to them don’t engage with SAN because SAN is a voluntary organisation.

“Therefore we cannot force anybody who is not a member to meet that minimum standard. And as a matter of fact, the recalcitrant company left SAN as soon as that conversation started. That is why we resurrected the statutory body that has the authority to bind the entire industry.

“And at that point we finalised and signed off on the minimum wage. Majority are compliant, and the MWUN PG can confirm that. And for the one or two that are not, then trust me, our comrades here know what to do.

“There are steps that are permissible legally to stop them. You give them notice, you follow due process, you picket them.You shut them down.

“But don’t shut the industry down. Don’t punish those who are compliant with those who are not compliant.”

Speaking on the development, the Shippers’ Council boss said the NSC is committed to ensuring implementation of the minimum wage.

He announced that a monitoring and enforcement committee comprising members of the Council, SACFEA and MWUN will be set up to ensure implementation.

He said, “So we will have members who will represent all the interests in that monitoring and enforcement committee.

“All of our targets is to ensure that the sector is very calm and we are working in a collaborative manner to ensure that we bring back the volume of trade in Apapa, Tin Can and Onne.

“Every day we look at Apapa and our prayer is that Apapa should be busy. Although we don’t have challenges on the road anymore, the roads are freer now but we want the roads to get busier than they are now. And it is through these collaborative efforts that we can achieve all of this.

“We signed that agreement and like I said, the minister was very pleased with all the stakeholders that came together to ensure that that agreement came to pass. And he is also putting his eyes on that agreement to see that it is fully implemented.”

On his part, MWUN President, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, assured of responsibile union actions, stating said the Union would not shut down the port.

He noted that the era of aggressive unionism is behind them as they now prioritize dialogue and mutual respect among executives, employers and workers.

“We are not going to shut down the port. We are responsible union leaders. Uniomism is no longer the way it was in the past where you don’t have respect for your executive, you don’t have respect for your employers, you don’t equally have respect for the people that made you to be here but to be banging table to get your right, ” he said.

He thanked the ES and the SACFEA boss for resolving the long-standing worker issues, assuring of the union’s support for continued cooperation.