MWUN Shipping Branch President condemns casualisation of workers in maritime sector

Stanley Ihedigbo

President of the Shipping Branch of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Olufemi Oluyinka Abass, has strongly condemned the growing trend of casualisation of workers by captains of industry in the shipping sector and terminal operators across the maritime industry.

According to the Head of Media, MWUN, Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna, Comrade Abass expressed deep concern over what he described as the deliberate outsourcing of workers to third-party contractors who pay “peanuts,” a practice he said amounts to the entrenchment of casual labour in clear violation of existing labour laws and regulations.

The soft-spoken but articulate maritime unionist noted that these employers have continued to justify their actions by systematically reducing the presence and influence of trade unions within the maritime sector, thereby promoting dehumanising and exploitative labour practices.

According to him, shipping companies and terminal operators have persistently engaged in cruel, vicious, and callous labour practices that undermine workers’ dignity and contravene both local and international labour standards.

Comrade Abass stated that the management of these companies has devised several strategies to entrench what he described as a “slave-drive ideology” within the sector, adding that the union must act decisively and swiftly to halt the ugly trend.

“The time to confront and stop this industrial manipulation of workers is now,” he declared.

He further explained that these unethical labour practices have resulted in the gradual erosion of permanent employment in the maritime industry, as employers falsely believe that casualisation is more economical and cost-effective.

According to him, this ideology prioritises profit maximisation at the expense of workers’ welfare, decent work conditions, and human dignity, while completely disregarding decent work policies as enshrined in labour laws both locally and globally.

Comrade Abass warned that the continued casualisation of workers not only impoverishes maritime workers but also weakens industrial harmony and productivity in the sector.

He assured maritime workers that the issue would be escalated to the top leadership of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, where decisive and far-reaching actions would be taken against all perpetrators.

The Shipping Branch President reaffirmed MWUN’s unwavering commitment to sanitising the maritime industry and ensuring improved living and working conditions for workers in the sector.

He urged all stakeholders to respect labour laws, uphold decent work standards, and recognise the indispensable role of trade unions in promoting fairness, stability, and sustainable growth within the maritime industry.