By Steve Agbota
The President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Adewale Adeyanju, has announced that shipping companies operating in the country’s seaports have agreed to implement a N200,000 minimum wage for maritime workers.
Previously, Hull-Blyth Nigeria Limited had declined to accept the N200,000 minimum wage agreement facilitated by the Federal Government between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Shipping, Shipping Agencies, Clearing and Forwarding Employers Association (SSACFEA).
However, Daily Sun learnt that the company had written to MWUN and stated that it is not a member of SSACFEA and, therefore, not bound by the minimum wage agreement.
Over the weekend, outgoing MWUN President-General, Adewale Adeyanju, informed journalists that Hull Blyth has now agreed to implement the N200,000 minimum wage.
According to him, the shipping firm had written twice to the union leadership, saying there was a mutual understanding between the union and the company.
“The initial refusal of Messrs. Hull-Blyth Nigeria Limited has now been settled. The shipping company has changed its mind on its initial refusal and has agreed to pay the N200,000 minimum wage. They even wrote to us twice concerning their change of mind.
“A meeting was then called by the management of Messrs. Hull-Blyth Nigeria Limited and MWUN, where we all had a good understanding of the matter.
“It wasn’t that we couldn’t muscle with the shipping company if they had insisted on their refusal, but since it has rescinded its decision and agreed to be part of the N200,000 minimum wage agreement, there was no need for any issue anymore.
“As I am talking to you now, the implementation of that signed agreement is ongoing at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC). The constitution of the implementation committee is happening at the NSC, and we are very much on top of the matter,” he explained.
Adeyanju further stated that rallying workers for the rejection of the Port and Harbour Bill by the National Assembly was the most challenging period of his administration.
The MWUN PG said the bill had threatened workers and would have far-reaching, grave consequences on the security of the nation as it would cede harbour, jetty, and terminal operations to private hands.
He, however, credited the union’s collective effort and media support for its eventual rejection.
Comrade Adeyanju also identified the transformation of MWUN, particularly the reforms within the dockworkers’ branch and the industrial peace in the maritime industry, as his most cherished achievements.
He also highlighted negotiations for improved welfare across all branches of the union—dockworkers, shipping, seafarers, and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)—as key achievements.
He said: “When I came in eight years ago, I think the first thing I needed to do was to make sure that the office of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria should not be called the headquarters of touts any longer. And you can see we have transformed.
“We started with the dockworkers’ branch because there were no rules and standards at the time. But we’ve changed the narrative from the way they normally called us touts, and that was why we have the collective bargaining agreements.
“Even in shipping, too, we didn’t have standards. What you had there were plan-by-plan negotiations. They could sit down with any employer and negotiate whatever amount they believed was for the workers in shipping.
“So, when we came on board, we introduced what we call a state of emergency in shipping because the workers in shipping were not well paid while the companies were making a hell of a lot of money by increasing their tariffs. But today, we now have what we call a minimum standard in shipping,” he added.
He pointed out that the average worker’s take-home is now N200,000, unlike before when it was N20,000.
“The seafarers have their NJIC as well, both locally and globally. And we have had improvements in their wages. Then you talk of NPA. The salary and wages of the workers in NPA were not reviewed for almost 18 years.
“But now they’ve reviewed the salary of NPA. And as I’m talking to you now, they are about rounding up and reviewing the salary properly. So, we’ve touched all four branches.
And so far, progress has been made in all four branches,” he said.