Maritime workers issue 7-day strike notice

• Urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter, warning that if the policy is not reversed, it would lead to irreversible industrial action and economic damage of the nation

Workers in the Maritime sector, Monday, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to stop the implementation of the presidential directive on the 50 per cent automatic deduction from the Internally Generated Revenue of Federal Government-owned enterprises, as it affects the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.

The workers, in a statement by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies, SSASCGOC, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA branch, threatened to shut all port activities at the expiration of the ultimatum, if the deduction continues.

The statement by President-General and Secretary-General, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju and Felix Akingboye, and President and Acting General Secretary of SSASCGOC, Akinola Bodunde, and Eko Alli, urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter, warning that if the policy is not reversed, it would lead to irreversible industrial action and economic damage of the nation.

The statement reads: “The Nigerian Ports Authority, as the employer of workers who are our members, is self-funded and receives zero allocation from the government budget. This means that it needs to retain most, if not all, of the funds it generates to be able to continue to effectively discharge its duties, which include constant dredging of our Ports, regular maintenance of our Quay Aprons, maintenance of Ports, Jetties, and Terminals, man Power development and discharge of Corporate Social Responsibilities.

“Without prejudice to the intentions behind the formation of policies to raise revenue for the Federal Government, it must be said that it is not advisable to introduce extractive policies to self-funding specialized entities as they will be subjected to unnecessary hardship and avoidable disruption of processes due to the revenue disruptions.

“Since it came into force, the list of negative effects of this policy of 50 per cent automatic deduction is growing at an alarming rate. Suffice it to say that the 50 per cent benchmark for deduction is inimical to the survival and growth of the NPA. It constitutes a direct threat to its growth, its operations, and ultimately its very existence.”