Maritime Labour and Trade Union
ITF Sounds Alarm at 100-Day Mark of Middle East War as Over 20,000 Seafarers Remain Stranded
ITF Sounds Alarm at 100-Day Mark of Middle East War as Over 20,000 Seafarers Remain Stranded
Global labour body demands ceasefire, crew protections and UN-led diplomacy as Persian Gulf shipping crisis deepens
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has used the 100-day milestone of the ongoing Middle East conflict to issue an urgent call for a ceasefire and the strengthening of protections for seafarers and other civilian transport workers caught in the crossfire of a war they had no part in starting.
The global maritime and transport labour federation, marking 100 days since US and Israeli strikes on Iran ignited the conflict on 28 February, described the ongoing hostilities as a war that “civilian transport workers did not start, cannot end and have paid for — with their lives, their health and their freedom.”
Seafarers Bearing the Cost of War
Transport workers across the global supply chain have been drawn into the violence. Airport staff were among the casualties of early attacks, while seafarers have faced a mounting wave of incidents at sea as hostilities spilled into some of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
Shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf — which together facilitate roughly a fifth of global oil trade — has come under repeated assault, with vessels struck, seized and crew members killed, injured or taken into detention.
Data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) records 42 confirmed maritime incidents in the region between 1 March and 8 June, with at least 11 seafarers confirmed dead.
The human toll extends well beyond fatalities. The ITF says more than 20,000 seafarers are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to be repatriated or rotated off vessels, effectively held in limbo by a conflict over which they have no control. The federation has received more than 2,500 requests for assistance since hostilities escalated, and says it has so far managed to facilitate the return home of over 600 seafarers.
Labour Protections Under Threat
The ITF raised particular concern over what it described as the weaponisation of force majeure clauses by some employers, alleging that certain shipping companies have invoked the legal provision to extend crew contracts beyond agreed terms, restrict onboard communications and delay the repatriation of seafarers. The federation characterised this as an exploitation of wartime conditions to erode hard-won labour protections.
The ITF demanded full and uncompromised enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), the international instrument that underpins seafarers’ rights globally. It called specifically for guaranteed crew changes, timely wage payments, unimpeded access to communication with families and the assurance of safe passage home.
Demands for Action
Beyond welfare concerns, the ITF set out a series of demands directed at governments, shipowners and international institutions. These include an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all detained seafarers and vessels, and respect for civilian maritime infrastructure under the established principles of international humanitarian law.
On the question of humanitarian shipping corridors, the ITF insisted that any such arrangement must operate only on the basis of binding, verified security guarantees — not ad hoc assurances — and called on the United Nations to lead urgent diplomatic efforts toward a durable resolution under the UN Charter.
Nigeria Watch
The Persian Gulf crisis carries direct and measurable implications for Nigeria’s maritime and energy sectors.
Nigeria’s crude oil exports compete in the same Asian and European markets that rely heavily on Persian Gulf supply. As shipping disruptions push war risk insurance premiums higher and complicate tanker routing, upward pressure on freight costs for Nigerian crude cargoes is an indirect but real consequence — one that port operators, commodity traders and shipping lines operating in Nigerian waters will need to monitor.
For MWUN — the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria — and the broader community of Nigerian seafarers, the ITF’s intervention is also a reminder of the value of affiliation with global labour structures. With thousands of Nigerians serving aboard vessels in international trade, the protections embedded in the Maritime Labour Convention are not abstractions. They are practical safeguards that, as events in the Persian Gulf demonstrate, can be tested — and threatened — by geopolitical forces entirely outside a seafarer’s control.
NIMASA, as Nigeria’s flag state administration and the body responsible for the welfare of Nigerian seafarers on international voyages, has both a mandate and a reputational interest in monitoring repatriation cases involving Nigerians in the affected zone, and in affirming publicly its alignment with MLC enforcement.
The ITF’s call for UN-led diplomacy also resonates with Nigeria’s long-standing posture as a proponent of multilateralism in maritime governance — a position the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy would do well to echo in appropriate international forums.
Waterways News | Lagos
Blue Economy
Oyetola, NCS President, Ex-MWUN Boss to Headline SCAN Dockworkers’ Day on Green Ports, June 4
Oyetola, NCS President, Ex-MWUN Boss to Headline SCAN Dockworkers’ Day on Green Ports, June 4
Minister, labour leaders and industry chiefs converge on Apapa to confront sustainability transition and welfare gaps facing Nigeria’s port workforce
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Correspondent
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping President Aminu Umar, and former Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) President-General Adewale Adeyanju are among senior figures billed to participate in the 2026 Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) Dockworkers’ Day, scheduled for Wednesday, 4 June at Rockview Hotels, Apapa, Lagos.
The event carries the theme “Green Ports: Sustainable Practices for Dockworkers,” and is expected to drive conversations around environmentally responsible port operations, the adoption of efficiency-enhancing technologies, and the need to improve working conditions for dockworkers.
Umar is expected to deliver the keynote address, while Adeyanju — who also serves as Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress — will chair the occasion. Goodwill messages are expected from the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Director-General of NIMASA.
In a joint statement, SCAN President Moses Ebosele and Organising Committee Chairman Yusuf Babalola described the annual Dockworkers’ Day as a critical platform for recognising the contributions of dockworkers to the national economy, while also addressing emerging environmental and operational challenges facing Nigeria’s maritime sector.
SCAN noted that as the global maritime industry continues to evolve, there is an increasing need to equip dockworkers with the relevant skills and tools required to adapt to green port initiatives and the ongoing digital transformation of shipping operations.
Nigeria Watch
The 2026 SCAN Dockworkers’ Day arrives at a moment of sharpening tension within Nigeria’s port labour environment. The green ports agenda — however compelling in global terms — lands against a backdrop of unresolved welfare grievances on the waterfront, including the contested reinstatement of tally clerks, persistent gangway security gaps, and allegations of labour law violations by some terminal operators.
The presence of Adeyanju, now a senior NLC figure, alongside the NCS President and Minister Oyetola signals that this year’s event aspires to be more than ceremonial. Whether the forum produces actionable commitments on worker protections amid the sustainability transition — rather than consensus statements — will determine its lasting relevance to the dockworkers it claims to honour.
For the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the event also presents an opportunity to demonstrate that its green economy narrative is not decoupled from the labour question: that the shift to cleaner, more automated ports does not accelerate workforce marginalisation. Nigeria’s port unions have so far not signalled strong opposition to green port frameworks, but the absence of formal social dialogue structures at the port level means the transition remains largely untested as a labour-management challenge.
Waterways News will be at Rockview Hotels, Apapa on 4th of June.
CRFFN, MWUN Seal Strategic Alliance, Union Presses Federal Government on Workers’ Welfare
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Correspondent
The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have taken a significant step toward deeper institutional collaboration, with both bodies pledging to work more closely on trade facilitation, professional standards in freight forwarding, and the welfare of workers across Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by members of the MWUN National Executive Council to CRFFN’s Lagos headquarters on Monday, where they met with the Council’s Registrar/CEO, Mr. Kingsley Igwe.
Igwe used the occasion to praise the leadership of MWUN President General, Comrade Francis Bunu, commending the union’s district officers who interface with CRFFN for their professionalism and cooperative spirit. He noted that the working relationship between both organisations had been productive and deserved to be formalised at a higher level.
MWUN PG, Comrade Francis Abi Bunu and CRFFN Registrar/CEO, Mr. Kingsley Igwe
The CRFFN chief gave an update on the Council’s reform drive over the past 18 months, disclosing that efforts to reposition freight forwarding practice along global standards had yielded concrete results. He said a digitalization initiative was underway to modernise freight forwarding operations and integrate the sector into the National Single Window platform. More than 500 freight forwarders have so far been verified under the programme, he said, while a formal licensing regime aligned with international best practices has also been introduced.
Igwe further disclosed that CRFFN had set up a complaint desk to handle disputes involving freight forwarders, shippers, terminal operators, and other supply chain stakeholders, and that work was ongoing to standardise freight forwarding charges so that importers can determine the true cost of cargo clearance and logistics services.
On capacity building, he stated that over 250 freight forwarders had received training in air cargo operations, with programmes targeting sea freight operations also in the pipeline. The Council has equally strengthened ties with strategic partners within and outside Nigeria to support broader maritime and logistics sector reforms, he added.
Igwe also acknowledged MWUN’s solidarity during the passing of former CRFFN Registrar, Barrister Samuel Nwakohu, describing it as a gesture that deepened the bond between both organisations.
In his response, Comrade Bunu described CRFFN as a key institution in Nigeria’s trade facilitation architecture and revenue generation for the Federal Government. He praised Igwe for the reforms being driven at the Council and assured him of MWUN’s unwavering backing. “As far as the union is concerned, we are by you. We will always stand by you,” Bunu said.
The union leader, however, used the forum to press for improved conditions for maritime workers, calling on the Federal Government to review salaries in line with present economic realities. He stressed that the workforce remains central to the country’s economic growth and that periodic wage reviews are non-negotiable.
Bunu also raised the matter of outstanding union dues owed to MWUN by CRFFN, urging management to ensure prompt remittance in line with labour laws.
Responding, Igwe assured the union that while deductions for 2025 had been consistent, steps were already being taken to clear obligations dating back to 2024. He equally pledged to escalate MWUN’s demands for salary increases and improved staff conditions of service to the relevant authorities, noting that discussions on a new conditions of service framework for CRFFN staff had already begun.
At the close of the meeting, Igwe formally conferred on MWUN the status of “strategic partner” of CRFFN — a symbolic but significant declaration that both parties hope will define the character of their engagement going forward.
Maritime Labour and Trade Union
NPA Pensioners Storm Marina Headquaters, Vow Escalation Over 16-Year Pension Freeze
NPA Pensioners Storm Marina Headquaters, Vow Escalation Over 16-Year Pension Freeze
Retirees earning as low as N30,000 monthly; nationwide ports shutdown possible
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Correspondent
Scores of retired workers of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) descended on the agency’s Marina headquarters in Lagos on Monday, demanding immediate resolution of pension increments left unimplemented for nearly two decades — a standoff that has brought the spectre of nationwide port disruptions closer to reality.
The protesters, operating under the umbrella of the Nigerian Ports Authority Pensioners Welfare Association (NPAPWA), accused the NPA management of failing to fully implement statutory pension reviews as prescribed under Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The demonstration drew a charged crowd of retirees bearing placards with stark messages. Inscriptions included: “Nigerian Ports Authority is owing its pensioners 16 years’ constitutional benefits,” “President Bola Tinubu, save our souls — NPA pensioners are dying daily; we need your intervention,” and “My pension is N30,000 per month, save my soul.” A 69-year-old woman was seen in tears during the demonstration.
Decades of Service, Peanuts in Return
The NPAPWA president, Charles Ayo Binitie, said the decision to protest follows years of frustration over the NPA management’s failure to implement the constitutionally mandated five-year pension increment, which he said has not been properly applied since 2008.
Binitie was unsparing in his assessment: “Notwithstanding the fact that the NPA remains a first-grade parastatal like the NNPC, its retirees are paid peanuts, and their so-called pay rise falls short of the constitutional provision in Section 173, Sub-Section 3. The law states that all pensioners are entitled to a pay rise every five years and whenever there is an increase for those in service; however, the management just adds whatever amount it likes, which mostly hovers between 3 and 11.5 percent.”
According to the retirees, some pensioners currently receive as low as N30,000 monthly, while previous increments described as arbitrary have proven wholly inadequate in the face of worsening economic hardship.
Former NPA worker James Igwe, who joined the agency in 1977, painted a grim picture of life after retirement. “I am still receiving N30,000. Many of us are now sick, paralysed and homeless. Some are sleeping in churches because we cannot pay rent. Our children are out of school, and many families have been scattered because of lack of money,” he told journalists.
Another pensioner, identified simply as Otaro, said he retired in 2006 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and had struggled to survive ever since.
Suspended Shutdown, Not a Cancelled One
The protest follows earlier threats by the association to shut down port operations nationwide in April 2026, after issuing a seven-day ultimatum to the NPA. That planned shutdown was suspended following interventions by the Presidency, relevant government agencies, and NPA management — with negotiations over payment of arrears and pension reforms still ongoing.
Binitie made clear that Monday’s action was only a prelude to greater pressure. “Our protest is nationwide. The next protest will be larger and more aggressive, involving units in Lagos, Warri, Calabar and Port Harcourt if our demands are not met,” he warned.
On documentation, Binitie alleged a critical administrative failure: the NPA had yet to furnish the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission with its documents for over 15 years, effectively blocking any upward review of pension entitlements.
Leadership Disputes Resolved
Binitie also addressed questions over NPAPWA’s internal cohesion. He pointed to a judgment by the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, which directed the association to hold an annual general meeting and conduct elections — processes that led to his emergence as president. A separate legal battle over alleged impersonation was resolved in September 2025, when a magistrate court in Apapa affirmed his leadership.
With internal disputes behind it, the association now insists it speaks with a single voice — and that voice is demanding urgent action.
Among their demands is a call on the federal government and relevant agencies to compel the NPA to implement all outstanding pension increases, including those tied to the 2024 minimum wage.
Nigeria Watch | Analysis for Maritime Sector Stakeholders
Monday’s protest at NPA’s Marina headquarters is not merely a welfare dispute — it carries direct implications for Nigeria’s port operations and the broader maritime economy.
For terminal operators and port users, the recurring threat of a port shutdown — even if suspended — introduces operational uncertainty into an environment already strained by congestion, infrastructure deficits, and cargo clearance bottlenecks. A coordinated withdrawal of participation by retiree associations, backed by active workers as observed during Monday’s demonstration, could cascade into disruptions at Lagos, Apapa, Warri, Calabar and Port Harcourt terminals simultaneously.
The constitutional dimension is equally significant. Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution is unambiguous on pension review obligations — a point that, if tested in court, could expose the NPA to substantial financial liability. With over 16 years of increments left unimplemented, the backlog represents a contingent liability that NPA management and its supervising ministry have, thus far, declined to quantify publicly.
For freight forwarders, shipowners and logistics operators, the central question is how long the current diplomatic holding pattern — sustained by Presidency interventions — can contain grievances that are, by all accounts, deepening by the month. Until the NPA addresses the Wages Commission documentation gap and tables a credible arrears settlement framework, the threat of escalation remains real and the cost of inaction continues to compound.
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