MWUN Shipping Branch President kicks against staff casualisation by terminal operators

The Shipping Branch President of the Maritme Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Olufemi Oluyinka Abass, has frowned at the casualization of workers by shipping and terminal operators in the maritime industry.

Comrade Abass said what these employers are doing is outsourcing of workers to contractors, who offer peanuts, by extension of practising casual labour in the industry without consent to labour regulations.

According to him, the shipping sector and the terminal operators have consistently engaged in this viscous, which, of course, negates the labour laws and regulations. “These captains of industries have continued to justify their wicked acts by increasingly embracing dehumanization and deliberately reducing the presence of Union in the maritime industry,” said he.

Comrade Abass further said these employers captains of these companies have devised several strategies to achieve this “Slave Drive” ideology in the sector; hence, the Union must act fast to stop the ugly trend, and the time to act against this industrial manipulation over workers in the sector is now.

This unethical labour practices have led to the steady erosion of permanent employment as it were in the sector; saying that the perpetrators believe the ideology is economical and cost effective, by way of dehumanizing the workers; as casualizing the workers is an ideology for them to make so much profit to the detriment of the peasant workers; while also neglecting the decent work policies as enshrined in labour laws locally and globally.

He also said that the matter will be reported to top leadership of the Union where a strict action will be taken against these perpetrators to sanitize the maritme industry for a better living work conditions.