The Consortium of Trucking Unions Associations, operating under the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), has announced the suspension of its planned withdrawal of services.
This comes after a period of significant unrest within the maritime trucking sector, triggered by ongoing extortion and harassment by various groups and authorities.
In a press release, the consortium detailed the struggles faced by maritime truck operators, who have endured “a horrendous extortion onslaught” at the hands of several organisations, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), local government agents, and other groups described as touts.
The union highlighted the harsh conditions under which drivers have operated, pointing to instances of brutalisation, maiming, the destruction of assets, and, in some cases, the loss of lives.
“There is no gainsaying that the maritime trucking community has indeed prior to now endured a horrendous extortion onslaught in the hands of the usurpers (NURTW, RTEAN, Local government agents and other nameless/faceless group regarded as touts) as we toil to make ends meet, grow the economy by contributing to the GDP as well as the multiplier effect our business activities espouses to the micro economic buoyancy of the Nation’s economy.
“During the darkest period of our ordeal, driver’s brutalisation was rife, so was maiming, wanton destruction of assets (trucks) and in some cases loss of lives to both our drivers and the public owing to the brazen destructive activities of the unscrupulous elements/economic saboteurs for which we unanimously resolved to withdraw our services in other to seek permanent redress to the unfortunate circumstances that has afflicted our business operating environment.”
It was however stated that following the interventions and appeals by the Federal Government, along with several agencies, the union has decided to suspend the strike. AMATO expressed hope that the government’s involvement would lead to solutions that improve the operating environment for truckers.
“However, in view of the various high powered intervention and series of appeal against our planned withdrawal of service by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), NIMASA, the Police and DSS with the assurances of proffering urgent solutions to address our business predicament and out of respect for constituted authorities coupled with our philosophical ideology of peace, patriotism and the economic progress of Nigeria, we have resolved to suspend our planned withdrawal of service.”
The union further called on its members to remain peaceful and law-abiding as they await the government’s next steps. While the strike is suspended for now, the trucking unions made it clear that their future actions will depend on the outcome of the government’s efforts to resolve their grievances. AMATO urged its members to “continue to pursue their business activities without fear of harassment and intimidation.”
Chioma Kalu
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