Alport Questions Motive Behind Continuing Port Strike

Published by: The Fatu Network

A day after rejecting allegations by striking Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) workers, Alport Banjul has gone further, arguing that the welfare concerns cited by employees had already been addressed and questioning whether the continuing strike is still about staff welfare.

In a message shared with The Fatu Network, Alport Banjul Corporate Communications Executive Tida Kanuteh said all welfare issues raised by workers had been resolved through engagements involving GPA Management, Alport and the Staff Association.

According to Ms Kanuteh, salaries were paid on time, staff loans were disbursed ahead of Tobaski, overtime issues were resolved with additional benefits, and a human resources resolution was formally signed by all parties.

“As confirmed in yesterday’s joint press release by GPA Management, every welfare concern cited as the basis for this action has been fully addressed,” Ms Kanuteh said.

Despite this, the strike continued today, with port operations remaining disrupted.

Ms Kanuteh said the public should also consider what she described as a broader transformation taking place at the Port of Banjul, including efforts to strengthen accountability, close operational gaps and ensure that the benefits of growth at the port are distributed fairly.

“The Port of Banjul is currently undergoing a significant institutional transformation,” she said. “Among the changes being implemented are measures to strengthen accountability, close longstanding operational gaps, and ensure that the benefits of port growth are distributed fairly and transparently rather than concentrated in the hands of a few.”

She argued that resistance to change is often encountered during periods of reform and suggested the continued strike may be driven by factors beyond the welfare concerns initially raised by workers.

“When a legitimate grievance has been fully resolved and a strike continues regardless, one has to ask honestly and openly whether this is still about welfare, or whether it is about something else entirely,” Ms Kanuteh said.

The latest statement builds on Alport’s earlier response to the strike, in which the company rejected allegations of unfair treatment and said the unrest followed efforts to strengthen accountability and address irregular practices at the port.

Ms Kanuteh also acknowledged what she described as concerns among some staff regarding perceived disparities in privileges and opportunities within the port ecosystem. She said those concerns should be addressed through established channels rather than through industrial action.

“These are concerns that deserve to be heard and addressed through the proper forums that now exist, not through actions that hurt the very institution that employs them and the Gambian economy that depends on it,” she said.

The strike began after GPA workers embarked on a sit down protest over welfare-related concerns and demands linked to the management of staff welfare matters. Workers previously maintained that their concerns had not been adequately addressed and vowed not to return to work until their demands were met.