Emmanuel OchayiIn a bid to avert a shutdown of vital maritime operations, Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, mediated between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and oil industry operators.
The agency brokered a truce over non-compliance with Stevedoring regulations, urging the MWUN to halt their planned strike.
Bello-Koko emphasized, “We are committed to maintaining industrial harmony and preventing disruptions to the critical Oil and Gas sector, which the maritime workers oversee. The national economy cannot withstand a shutdown at this juncture.”
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Following a meeting held at the NPA’s Lagos headquarters, a communiqué addressing the workers’ grievances was agreed upon, leading to the suspension of the impending strike.
Notable attendees included key industry figures such as the Executive Vice-President (Down Stream) for Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, representatives from labor unions, and industry leaders.
This mediation comes after the MWUN’s threats to close seaports, jetties, and oil platforms due to perceived non-compliance with Stevedoring laws, highlighting concerns over access to work locations and the remittance of levies by Stevedores.
The MWUN had previously expressed frustration, alleging that their appeals were disregarded, even as they faulted the NPA’s oversight of International Oil Companies’ operations
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