Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Monday, January 8, 2024, brokered peace between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and marginal field operators of the oil and gas industry over non-compliance with stevedoring regulations.
Appealing to the maritime workers during the meeting, Bello-Koko said the Ports Authority will do all it takes to ensure industrial harmony and prevent the shutdown of crucial production platforms of the oil and gas and allied industries that maritime workers control.
The NPA boss said the national economy cannot afford any shutdown at this time.
The meeting, which was in a move to stop the impending shutdown of the national economy, culminated in the signing of a communique addressing the workers’ grievances and subsequent suspension of planned strike action.
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria had earlier last week issued an ultimatum to shut down all oil production and allied platforms on Tuesday, January 9 over non-compliance with the stevedoring regulations, lack of access to work locations, lack of remittance of 3 percent maritime workers’ levy by stevedores.
The meeting had in attendance Adedapo Segun, executive vice-president (Down Stream) for Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited; Adewale Adeyanju, deputy president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC); Bolaji Sunmola, president of the National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASO); Bayo Adenrele, managing director of the Nigerian Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC), and Assistant Director Distribution System, Storage and Retail Infrastructure of the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) among other industry leaders.
