The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called off its scheduled nationwide strike, originally set to begin today, instructing all members to resume normal work activities.
The union had previously issued a strike notice on January 4, citing the non-compliance of international oil companies and stevedoring contractors with existing laws.
The MWUN accused these entities of violating undisclosed regulations for the past three years, as highlighted in various communiqués involving all stakeholders in the sector.
However, in a recent development, the union has decided to suspend the planned strike after a communiqué signed on Monday addressed their concerns.
This communiqué, emphasizing full compliance with stevedoring regulations in the petroleum industry, resulted from a meeting involving stakeholders.
The statement, conveyed by the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, through the union’s Head of Media, John Ikemefuna, mentioned that resolutions from the meeting acknowledged substantial compliance by international oil companies regarding labor deployment.
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However, the matter of equipment deployment is set to undergo examination in the next three months, according to the stakeholders’ agreements.
The statement reads in part: “Meeting will be facilitated within one week by the relevant regulators, the marginal field operators, and all other non-compliant operators to ensure immediate compliance with the stevedoring regulations and granting of access to appoint stevedores.
“Full resolutions of all issues relating to compliance and grants of access to work locations to stevedores by location operators be sorted out between now and the end of January.
“While these actions are being taken, the earlier communiqué reached Friday, the 5th of January, be immediately implemented as the mark of good faith.
“Based on the above resolutions, the union has decided to lift the impending shutting down of the nation’s seaports.”