Furious dock workers, under the banner for Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Thursday shut down the entry and exit gates of the APM terminals, Apapa over anti-labour activities of the Lagos container port operator.

According to news made available to Obinwannem Media, the terminals breeched the National Union Industrial agreement, signed with the union by employing foreigners to do jobs that can be done perfectly by Nigerians.

Comrade Adewale, President General of MWUN, confirmed to journalists, that the union can no longer tolerate anti labour practices by multinational companies, especially APM terminals operating in the nation’s maritime sectors.

According to him, APM terminals and Maserk line, bring in workers from smaller west African countries such as Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana, to take over jobs that should be handled by Nigerians in the companies.

He said, “The white man heading the terminal has no regard for Nigerians. We are in our fathers land, and yet he would be calling us all sort of names. This is too bad.

“They don’t like us; yet they are making a lot of money in Nigeria, and taking it back to develop their own country at the expense of Nigerians,” he added.

He also urged the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to investigate and look into the expatriate quota granted APM terminals, saying it was being abused by bringing in foreigners that takes jobs belonging to Nigerians.

“We are going to all multinational companies that do such act. We have qualified Nigerians who can handle most of these departments, but they prefer to bring people from outside the country.”

He, however, urged the Nigerian Immigration Service to investigate multinational companies, including Maserk line, to give Nigerians the opportunity to do the jobs, rather than employing foreigners.

Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News