Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has issued a seven-day strike notice over the planned acquisition of Tin Can Island Container Terminal, TICT, and Bollore Transport and Logistics Nigeria Limited by Mediterranean Shipping Company, MSC.

MWUN lamented that the fate of workers has been kept in the dark by the owners of the two firms, threatening to shut the ports’ operations at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum should the management of the two companies fail to provide answers to its questions.

President-General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, faulted the refusal of TICT and Bollore to respond to inquiries by the Union on the acquisition plan, informing that the Union had first written to both companies on September 14, 2022, “to know the fate of its members but the companies have deliberately refused to engage the Union.

“As a result, we have no other option than to issue a seven-day ultimatum to both TICT and Bollore demanding to know the fate of our members and the next line of action in the event of management change regarding the retention of our members’ jobs or payoff.”

MWUN in a letter dated November 14, 2022, addressed to the management of both companies by a deputy Secretary-General, Oniha Erazua, on behalf of the Union’s Secretary-General, Felix Akingboye, threatened that at the expiration of the seven-day notice, it would be “forced to withdraw its services from the ports if our demands are not met. This has become necessary in the face of rising agitation and restiveness over the secrecy of the whole process and the likely aftermath of the acquisition on our members’ job retention or outright payoff.”

A copy of the letter entitled: Re- Important Announcement from Cyrille Bollore: Demand to Know the Fate of Our Members” reads in part, “We are surprised that despite the very sensitive and germane matter the letter sought the answer to, your management is yet to respond, giving room to suspicion and negative speculations on the fate of our members; your employees, at the end of the acquisition process.

“On the strength of the above and given the increasing restiveness of our members in the employ, I am directed to give you notice of a seven-day ultimatum starting from the date of this letter within which your management is expected to furnish us with the information requested.

“Please note that the Union would take all necessary redemptive means to protect the interest of our members, including withdrawing our services at the expiration of this ultimatum.” (Vanguard)

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