Africa-Press – Gambia. The Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), Ousman Jobarteh, has assured dockworkers that their safety, compensation, and working conditions remain a priority during the ongoing port concession transition.
Speaking to West Coast Radio, Jobarteh addressed a recent accident in which a worker lost two fingers, noting that prompt intervention by colleagues prevented further harm.
“The accident is unfortunate, but there is an injury compensation act under the social security. GPA and Alport have the necessary insurance covering injury and liability based on the impairment as governed by law,” he explained.
He emphasized that the dock labor company, a private operator, is responsible for providing adequate insurance coverage and that steps are ongoing to ensure full compliance during the transition period.
“The dock labor has provisioned to carry out insurance, and the workers will be adequately covered because we know the risky nature of the job,” Jobarteh said.
On the issue of outstanding payments, he confirmed that a GMD 17 million claim related to rate calculations under the new Service Level Agreement (SLA) has been fully settled. “The 17 million that has been claimed was arrears that they were claiming that when the new SLA was brought in, there were differences in the rate calculation, but we managed to successfully engage Alport, and those monies have already been fully paid,” he said.
Jobarteh also addressed concerns about wage adjustments under the new rates. “The issue now is about the new rates applied per move, which provide an incentive for higher productivity, but the net wages for dock workers have decreased. We have been constantly engaged, and there is a proposal that, once accepted, will reverse the wages to their previous levels and provide new incentives for achieving higher productivity,” he stated.
He reiterated that the port concession aims to enhance operations without disadvantaging workers.
“The concession is not here to disfavor any dockworker, GPA staff, or any Gambian. Transition arrangements are usually difficult, but we will manage it to the extent that the workers will not be put in a less than desirable situation as before the concession,” Jobarteh said.
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