The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), led by its President-General, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, has announced plans to confront Temile Development Company Nigeria Ltd over the firm’s persistent refusal to unionize its maritime workers in Port Harcourt. Acting in solidarity with the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNO‑WTSSA), MWUN has resolved to secure union recognition for staff at the company’s premises located at No. 2, Omedu Street, Rumueme, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
MWUN disclosed that it has written multiple letters titled *“Request for the Unionization of Our Members in Your Company”* on 26 May 2025, 16 September 2025, October 2025, and 1 April 2026, requesting the Port Harcourt based company to recognise and engage both MWUN and NMNO‑WTSSA. However, the firm has consistently failed to respond, an act MWUN describes as a deliberate attempt to “call the bluff” of the two unions, whose national headquarters are based in Lagos.
President-General Comrade Francis Bunu Abi stated that no company in Nigeria, or anywhere in the world, is above the laws governing labour and collective bargaining. He condemned the casualisation of workers as a prohibited practice in contemporary labour systems and warned that any employer still resorting to such exploitative patterns will be treated as a labour law violator and subjected to strict enforcement measures. “Workers cannot be engaged for peanuts under the guise of job creation,” he said, stressing that workers’ rights and welfare must be upheld in line with national and international labour standards.
Comrade Bunu, an Ijaw‑born labour activist and seasoned maritime labour administrator, issued a 21‑day ultimatum to the management of Temile Development Company Nigeria Ltd., directing them to respond to all outstanding unionization letters, set a date for a joint meeting within the stipulated period, or face the full consequences of union action.