Don’t slash our salaries because of COVID 19, maritime workers tell employers.

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has told employers of its members not to tamper with their salaries, wages and allowances in view of the raging COVID 19 pandemic ravaging the world.

The union threatened to resist such move or any secret move to convert the lockdown period occasioned by COVID-19 to the annual leave of their staff.

The union in its May Day speech delivered by the President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju said the union would rise against such plan.

The union in the speech sought inclusion of its members as representatives in the COVID-19 port committee.

Speaking further, Adeyanju said that the union would be at variance with any employer that seeks to slash the salaries, wages and allowances of any member of the union without justification adding that it is illogical and illegal for any organisation to downsize at this period.

The speech reads in part, “We want to use this medium to appeal for the inclusion of a union representative in the already set up COVID-19 ports committee.

“We also wish to bring to the public space the secret attempts by some management to cheat our members by forcing them to convert this lockdown period occasioned by government pronouncement to their annual leave consumed.

“The union has been informed that some managements have issued internal memo to this effect.

“In very clear terms, we condemn this attempt to turn workers’ rights on its head for the pecuniary gains of management without recourse to normal considerations and processes.

“We find it strange that workers will be subjected to punishment for a situation that is entirely out of their scope of control. This we will resist with all the arsenals at our disposal within the ambit of the law. All management considering such gimmick are hereby put on notice.

Port

“Comrades, most disheartening is the attempt by some unscrupulous management to cut the salaries, wages and allowance of our members without any probable cause.”

While appreciating the efforts of the federal government in fixing the port access road, MWUN charged the government and its agents to expedite action on completing the road saying it observed that work has long stopped at the site.

The union boss also requested that the federal government to urgently direct all relevant agencies in the sector to put measures in place to sensitise members of the union working at the quay apron and other port users to augment the efforts of the union in the direction.

Adeyanju however thanked the Minister of Transportation, Minister of State for Transportation, Minister of Labour and agencies’ heads in the maritime for their efforts even as he promised to keep in touch with them.