Maritime workers ground operations at APM Terminals over anti-labour practice

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria on Thursday shut down the largest container terminal in Africa, APM Terminals Apapa, Lagos, over alleged anti-labour acts and a breach of agreement reached with the union.

The workers and the APM Terminals have at a loggerheads in the past three weeks over the reported replacement of some of its Nigerian personnel with foreign workers.

Last week, both parties entered into discussions in an attempt to resolve the issue, but failed to reach an agreement after the management was alleged to have refused to give a time frame when some of the foreigners would leave.

It was gathered that the management had claimed the foreigners were brought in to train Nigerians. President General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, who confirmed the shutdown of the terminal to Vanguard, among others, said, “The workers shut down the terminal because of the anti-labour practices going on at the APMT.

“Let them go and reposition themselves and follow due process in line with the National Joint Industrial Negotiating Council agreement that we signed with them. It is a by-law. They are taking advantage of Nigerians and bringing in foreigners to take over our jobs. Now, the workers have taken their fate or destiny in their hands that they won’t allow this to happen.

“The jobs that Nigerians can do, the APMT is bringing in Egyptians, Ghanaians, among others, to come and head departments that Nigerians have been heading.

“The white man heading the terminal has no regard for Nigerians. He is in our father’s land and yet he would be calling us all sorts of names. This is totally unacceptable.

“They don’t like us; yet they are making a lot of money in Nigeria, and taking the money back to develop their own country at the expense of Nigerians.”

Adeyanju asked the Nigeria Immigration Service to investigate and look into the foreigners engaged by the APMT to take jobs belonging to Nigerians, adding, “Immigration should check what their work permit says. You cannot just come into this country as an expatriate; you must have your work permit.”

-Vanguard