By Victor Ahiuma-Young
The Shipping Branch of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has decried the growing upsurge in the casualisation of workers by shipping companies and terminal operators in Nigeria.
The President of the branch, Olufemi Abass, in a statement issued through MWUN’s Head of Media, John Ikemefuna, lamented that such unfair labour employers have a penchant for outsourcing workers to contractors who pay meagre wages and hire them on a temporary basis.
“While the shipping sector and the terminal operators have consistently engaged in these cruel, vicious and callous labour practices, which of course negate labour laws and regulations, these captains of industry have continued to justify their wicked acts by increasingly embracing dehumanisation and deliberately reducing the presence of the union in the maritime industry.
“These companies have devised several strategies to achieve this ‘slave-drive’ ideology in the sector; hence, the union must act fast to stop this ugly trend, and the time to act against this industrial manipulation of workers in the sector is now.
“These unethical labour practices have led to the steady erosion of permanent employment in the sector. These perpetrators of unethical labour practices believe the ideology is economical and cost-effective.”
According to him, this is achieved “by dehumanising the workers, as casualising workers is an ideology for them to make huge profits to the detriment of peasant workers, while also neglecting decent work policies as enshrined in labour laws locally and globally.”
He also said that the matter would be reported to the top leadership of the union, assuring that “strict action will be taken against these perpetrators to sanitise the maritime industry and ensure better working and living conditions for workers.”
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