After nearly 20 years of unsuccessful negotiations, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and shipping companies under the Shipping, Shipping Agencies, Clearing and Forwarding Employers Association (SACFEA) have reached a consensus on the minimum standards for workers in the shipping industry.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) performed a significant role in helping both sides finally agree on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which now sets the standard for workers’ pay and benefits in Nigeria’s shipping industry.
Speaking during the document signing ceremony in Lagos, the President of SACFEA, Mrs Boma Alabi (SAN), noted that the new minimum conditions of service for workers under shipping places would be the highest in any industry across the nation.
“The most significant thing is that in setting a minimum standard for the shipping industry, we have gone above and beyond any other industry in Nigeria. The national minimum wage is N70,000 and we know what it took to get the Federal Government to get to that point.
“By the agreement we have signed today, our minimum wage is N200,000. It is almost triple the national minimum wage.” She added.
