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Gambia: Dockers Threaten Sit Down Strike

The Gambia Dock and Marine Workers Union have given an ultimatum to go on a sit down strike to express their dissatisfaction with effect from 15 April 2007 if their demands are not met.

This was revealed at a press conference held at their office in Banjul on Wednesday.

Union leaders complained that their members are facing extinction due to dwindling gang size, lack of promotion and changing of payment mechanism.

Speaking at the press conference, the Secretary General of the Gambia Dock and Marine Workers Union, Mr. Landing Sanyang said that the union wrote a letter to the Department of State for Trade on the 12 May 2006 for the filling of gangs and replacement of workers.

He stated that in December 2006, the Department of State for Trade, replied that it is the Commissioner of Labour who is mandated to carryout the exercise of replacing workers.

Mr. Sanyang further said that in December the Port Labour Board passed a motion in favour of their letter that they are facing extinction without replacement.

The Port Labour Board comprises seven members, a representative each from the dockworkers, the Gambia Ports Authority, the shipping agencies, the Gambia National Trade Union Congress, the Chairperson, Port Labour Board, the Secretary of the Labour Board (the commissioner of Labour) and an independent person.

Mr. Sanyang added that the motion called for promotion to start intensively, but after sometime the GPA wrote a letter to them that overruled the decision of the Port Labour Board and directed that promotion should stop.

He said that when that was discovered the dockworkers wrote a letter that it is not fair for one person to overrule the decision agreed upon the majority.

Sanyang said that according to the Port Labour Board Rules, the secretary of the board, that is, the Commissioner of Labour has the right to promote workers and inform the board.

Mr. Sanyang indicated that the dockworkers are paid according to the production system noting the three stages of the production cycle, that is, on-board, on shore and at the ware house were in control of the dockworkers so that any delay of production is borne by the dockworkers.

But now, Mr. Sanyang said, those realities do not exist. Only the first stage, that is, on board exists.

He noted that the dockworkers are demanding for the payment of D5.00 per bag and D100.00 per tonne. He said that regarding perishable goods, the GPA does not pay but collects five euros each from every vessel while the dockworkers are paid 1/18 of the five euros which is unfair.

He noted that the dockworkers want to gain their independence and be able to manage themselves amicably.

Also speaking at the press conference the president of the union, Ma Lamin Ceesay, said that dockworkers are not employees of GPA and that GPA should not control them, positing that GPA does not have the mandate to reduce the size of gangs of dockworkers.

Mr. Ceesay said that GPA used them every time for work but that they (dockworkers) are not paid their labour. He stated that dockworkers are part of the Port Labour Board but not employees of GPA. He added that dockworkers are contractors and are only paid for their labour.

Mr. Baboucarr Cole, Deputy Secretary General of the Union said that eight people had died and sixteen injured while at work without compensation.

He stated that the insurance of every vessel covers the cost of medication for the injured or deceased people. He added that before any vessel leaves an indemnity letter is issued that serves as a guarantee to the shipping agencies. Mr. Cole said that a period of 3-6 months will be the period of guarantee that if the vessel owner does not pay they will instruct the shipping agency to pay an amount to the deceased or the injured.

He posited that the GPA, the Labour Department and shipping agencies must be held responsible for the payment of these victims, especially since they believe that most of dockworkers are semi-illiterate.

He appealed on behalf of the dockworkers to the government to set a special commission of inquiry into dock labour, the GPA, the Labour Department and the shipping agencies.