Tensions at Gambia’s main port have intensified after workers at Alport Banjul, joined by employees of the Banjul Shipyard, submitted a vote of no confidence calling for the immediate removal of Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) Managing Director Salih Levent Kaçar.
The workers submitted their demands on Monday to the relevant authorities, giving the GPA Board of Directors and the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure five working days to address their concerns and replace the managing director.
The Alport Staff Association accused Kaçar’s administration of persistent delays, poor communication and failure to implement agreements reached following high-level government intervention during the port dispute in June.
The latest development threatens to reopen tensions surrounding the management of operations at Banjul Port, a critical hub for the country’s trade and economy.
Speaking to JollofNews, Mamat Jammeh, a GPA staff member, said workers were not opposed to the port concession but were increasingly concerned about what he described as the managing director’s leadership style and its impact on employees.
“All what we want is our welfare has always been tampered with. This is what we are not going to take anymore,” Jammeh said.
He accused Kaçar of repeatedly engaging workers in confrontations and argued that his leadership was not serving the interests of employees.
“But we are calling on the President: we are not into politics, we are not into tribal lines. We only have one tribe here, which is the Gambia Ports Authority,” he said.
Jammeh said workers have the ability to disrupt port operations but were deliberately pursuing formal and peaceful channels in an effort to protect the national economy.
He warned, however, that continued failure to address their grievances could lead to industrial action.
“We are sending a message to the government… we know that we are here for our country, and it is The Gambia that we have,” he said.
“This is why we always advocate for peace. But if not, we are going for industrial action in which we cannot joke, because some of us have worked here for 30-something years and are about to retire with nothing to show for it.”
The workers have also raised concerns over what they describe as years of neglected welfare issues and unfulfilled salary adjustments. They argue that employees whose manual labour contributes significantly to port operations have not benefited adequately from the revenues generated by the facility.
According to the workers, the port has generated nearly D2.5 billion, while longstanding concerns over staff welfare remain unresolved.
The association’s demand comes after a period of heightened scrutiny of port operations and the relationship between workers, management and the concession arrangements.
Workers have emphasized that their position should not be interpreted as opposition to the port concession itself. Instead, they say their concerns are centred on management, employee welfare and the implementation of agreements reached with government intervention.
The five-working-day deadline now places pressure on the GPA Board and the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure to respond before the dispute escalates.
With Banjul Port serving as a vital gateway for imports and exports, any prolonged industrial action could have wider implications for businesses, consumers and the national economy.
The coming days are therefore expected to be critical as the government weighs its response to the workers’ demands and seeks to prevent another major disruption at the country’s principal economic gateway.
