MWUN tasc k force to monitor waterways compliance

 

 

 

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) is set to establish a taskforce that will monitor and compel compliance on water ways.

The decision was sequel to the alleged non-compliance by manning agents and shipping companies operating in the nation’s waters with the relevant provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).

The MLC was put in place to enforce the rights of seamen.

The MLC 2006 is an international agreement of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which sets out seafarers’ rights to decent conditions of work. It was formerly referred to as the Seafarers’ Bill of Rights.

In Nigeria, the seafarers bill of rights was a tripartite agreement among ship owners, the regulatory agency and the union, that has not yielded positive results due to NIMASA’s poor attitude in its implementation.

The union has officially written to the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Marine Police and Nigerian Navy for clearance before commencing full operations to patrol the waterways.

Note only that the MWUN has also appointed its deputy president general, Comrade Douglas Emobolor, as national chairman of the taskforce while Comrade Dennis Unefeke will serve as the Lagos State coordinator.

The taskforce was put in place to carry out on-the-spot assessment with workers aboard ships operating in Nigerian waters. Nigerian seafarers are also expected to use the opportunity to air their grievances about the terms and conditions under which they work.

MWUN will engage some private boat operators, hire some of their platforms on how to arrange for speedboats and procure brand new patrol boats to discharge operations.

On what informed the union’s decision to float a taskforce to patrol the waterways, it was revealed that ship owners and manning agents have decided to take advantage of the failed MLC 2006 to tackle issues militating against their activities.

 

Leave a Reply