Industrial Council Reviews Seafarers’ Working Conditions
The Tripartite National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) has met with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Lagos to review minimum working standards for Nigerian seafarers.
The Director General of the agency, Bashir Jamoh explained that a revised working condition for Nigerian seafarers was a major component of the proposed review of the NIMASA Act and the Merchant Shipping Act currently before the National Assembly for consideration.
In a statement by the agency’s Assistant Director, Public Relations, Osagie Edward, the director general said that the review came at a time when the agency was in the process of reviewing both the NIMASA Act and the Merchant Shipping Act with the outcomes of the tripartite negotiations by the NJIC to be inputted into both amendments to ensure that they are binding.
Jamoh noted: “The importance of this gathering is determined by the need for adequate compensation, remuneration and workplace conditions for Nigerian seafarers, and for employers of labour to ensure responsible conditions of service guiding seafarer employment in line with global best practices.”
According to him, the agency had previously led negotiations alongside the NJIC, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and relevant stakeholders to increase dock workers’ wages and entitlements through the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) initiative in 2018 which resulted in improved conditions for Nigerian dock workers.
Also, the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Engr. Victor Ochei, who served as the chairman of the NJIC, emphasised the benefits of the ongoing review for the Nigerian Maritime sector as a whole.
He said: “The regulation of the minimum standards of living and working conditions of seafarers through the instrument of the Collective Bargaining Agreement process has created a harmonious working relationship between stakeholders, seafarer employers and the workers in the nation’s maritime labour sector.
“A review of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is needed for improved wages and living standards for Seafarers operating in Nigeria’s territorial waters, who undoubtedly are an integral part of the maritime sector.”
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