Trade unions in Nigeria are threatening a three-day strike later today that could shut down port operations in the country.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) demands that the government fix the road access and traffic bottlenecks on the roads leading to the ports and threatens to start a nationwide warning strike of three days beginning on today.
“The implications are huge to the Nigerian economy and employment creation. The government must address the condition of the roads and find lasting solution to the gridlock,” representatives of the union said.
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPEN) said it was not on strike, but maritime workers were free to go on a strike if such an action draws the attention of the government to the problem with the roads.
Nigeria’s federal government has appealed to the MWUN union not to proceed with the strike, saying that government intervention in fixing the problems was delayed by the pandemic and the recent protests in Nigeria.
Last month, major oil companies asked local authorities to boost surveillance on oil-producing and oil and infrastructure assets in Nigeria amid escalating protests against police brutality and plans for oil job cuts, industry sources told Reuters.
