Strike: Shippers Council Meets With APM Terminal After Talks With Workers Union

Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The Management of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, yesterday met with the management of APM Terminals after a similar meeting with the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN over the ongoing shut down of port operations at the terminal.

The Executive Secretary of NSC, Emmanuel Jime, who had earlier led his management team to intervene in the strike action embarked upon by the Union asked for time to sort out the difference.

Vanguard gathered that the meeting APM Terminal meeting is to get the side of the terminal operator before a tripartite meeting.

Although the outcome of the meeting with APM Terminals was unknown as at the time of going to press, the President General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyunju, had expressed disappointment in the attitude of APM Terminal management specifically the “Hire & Fire” system. He also complained about the poor retirement package APMT gives its employees.

A statement by Head of Public Relations, NSC, Rakiya Dhikru-Yagboyaju, noted that the District Chairman, APMT, Tunde Balogun spoke about APM Terminal’s employment of foreign workers instead of Nigerians, demotion of staff in order to accommodate expatriates in higher positions of the organization and the employment of inexperienced workers to high positions in the organization. 

He also bemoaned the discriminatory payment structure of the organization.

ES/CEO, NSC pledged to engage the management of APMT with a view to resolving the issues. He also pleaded with the President General of the MWUN for some more time in order to achieve these. This was followed by a response from the President General who said that the Union would look into the request. He described Hon. Jime as an ambassador of peace.