The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has threatened a major industrial confrontation with Temile Development Company Nigeria Ltd over the firm’s alleged refusal to allow its employees to unionise.
MWUN, led by its President-General, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, made the declaration in collaboration with the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNO-WTSSA), vowing to ensure that workers of the Port Harcourt-based company are brought under union coverage.
The unions accused Temile Development Company, located in Rumueme, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, of consistently ignoring multiple requests for unionisation despite several formal communications.
According to the unions, letters dated May 26, 2025; September 16, 2025; October 2025; and April 1, 2026, all titled “Request for the Unionization of Our Members in Your Company,” were sent to the company but received no response.
MWUN described the company’s silence as a deliberate attempt to undermine workers’ rights and disregard established labour laws.
Speaking on the development, Comrade Bunu stated that no organisation is above labour laws or union structures, stressing that practices such as casualisation of workers are no longer acceptable in modern labour systems.
He warned that employers who continue to engage workers under poor conditions or deny them the right to unionise would face stiff resistance from organised labour.
“Casualisation has become a thing of the past. Any employer still indulging in such outdated practices will be dealt with accordingly. Workers cannot continue to be exploited under the guise of employment,” he said.
Bunu further issued a 21-day ultimatum to the management of Temile Development Company to respond to the unions’ requests and agree to a joint meeting, failing which the unions would take decisive action.
The labour leader emphasised that the unions remain committed to protecting the rights and welfare of maritime workers and would not relent until the issue is resolved.
The statement was signed by Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna, Head of Media, MWUN.
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