The 21- day ultimatum given by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to picket one of the nation’s leading pilotage companies, the Melsmore Marine has been suspended.
This was sequel to productive deliberation between the Union and Marine company management, which held weekend, at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria’s maritime capital.
“We have had the first meeting with Melsmore Marine (management), and the meeting, has been very very positive,” the MWUN President General, Comrade Francis Bunu confirmed, affirming that the ultimatum has actually been suspended.
He also highlighted that the revered Marine company, from all intent, has shown sincerity and genuine readiness to comply with all the rules and regulations guiding a smooth operation of the Nigerian Maritime industry.
Comrade Bunu stressed that though their discussions were still ongoing rather than concluded, he could candidly observe that the management was more interested in smoothly growing and flourishing their business, rather than in anything controversial.
“They are ready to comply with all essentials that will make their business grow”, he further said, adding that both the Union and the management ere focused on an enduring peaceful resolution.
Comrade Oneya declined comment, stressing that he could not say anything more, once the President General had spoken.
Speaking in the same, the Chief Executive Officer of the Melsmore Marine, Danny Fuchs, offered very little comment, stressing that he was however seriously concerned with the fact that an aspect of the reportage posited the company as breaking a law of the land.
“We will never break a law”, he explained, adding that the company, though has laid formidable and indelible footprints in its area of business, is nonetheless, within the first year, of its operations.
He described the Melsmore as a highly focused and responsible entity, fully committed to a meticulous compliance with every law of the land, hence his concern with some aspect of the hard reportage.
He maintained that much as he loves Union and union activities, it would be thoroughly awkward of the management to invite the Union, to please come and unionise its few workers.
It was affirmed that the company had raised the Workers’ salaries twice, within the first year of it operations.
It would be recalled that the faceoff between the Union and the management was ignited over the Union’s commitment to factor in the Melsmore workers into its Collective Bargaining Agreement CBA Platform.
The Union maintained that though the Nigerian labour laws may allow a management to keep it’s distance from the union for a period of three to six months, it does not condone a year period .
.”When you have run a company beyond one year, and you have even increased salaries, there must be a condition of service backed by a CBA, a Collective Bargaining Agreement,l,” the Union leader explained further, pointing out that both the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency are fully subscribed to it.
