Port Sudan cargo workers lift strike

More than 20,000 cargo workers in Port Sudan lifted their strike after the intervention of the competent authorities who pledged to resolve the problem.

Workers carried out a comprehensive strike in all ports of Port Sudan for nine hours on Tuesday in protest against the state government establishing holding companies to replace the association of cargo and unloading workers.

Members of the Legislative Council of the Red Sea state confirmed their determination to summon the Governor of the state, Ali Hamid, to question him about establishing holding companies instead of the association of cargo and unloading workers.

Mohamed Tahir, a member of the Legislative Council in Port Sudan told Radio Dabanga “They would summon the governor this week”.

He criticized the governor for not presenting the decision to establish companies before the Legislative Council.

He confirmed their stand with the cargo unloading workers in their fair cases, explaining the workers’ categorical rejection of the establishment of such companies.

Civil leader in eastern Sudan Abdallah Mousa announced his full support of the strike of the workers in protest the establishment of companies instead of the association of cargo and unloading.

Mousa said in an interview with Radio Dabanga that the establishment of the companies comes within the framework of an integrated project for the privatisation of ports as a step away from the gains of workers.

He called for the immediate abolition of the corporate idea and considering it as a set of organised corruption.

 He also called on the leaders of the Cargo Workers Union and unloading to review the conditions of workers of cargo and unloading and employ them in the permanent service and their cover under the umbrella of health and social insurance like the rest of the workers in Sudan.

He also called for rectifying the situation in the association and the union by convening a general assembly immediately, submitting the financial budgets transparently, determining the share of profits for the membership and immediately starting to pay them to the workers.

'Corrupt'

He harshly criticised the leaders of the association and the union of cargo and unloading and described them as corrupt.

He explained that the government exploited the gaps of corruption in the leadership to intervene and hit the gains of workers.

He ridiculed in an interview with Radio Dabanga the statements made by the governor of the Red Sea state that the aim of establishing companies is to provide workers ‘rights, saying that the defence of workers’ rights, their inclusion under the umbrella of health and social insurance and the benefits of after service are at the core of the union movement rather than the governor.

He described the current conditions of the association and the union of workers of cargo and unloading as defective, pointing that the leaders of the association have remained for more than 50 years.

He said that the amounts deposited in banks exceeded billions, in addition to the huge investments in hotels, towers, hospital and agricultural projects.

He pointed out that these investments and amounts have not contributed in the improvement of the conditions of workers.

El Tawasul party announced its full support for the workers in their refusal to establish companies.

It described the establishment of the companies as a dangerous project that aims to undermine the earnings of workers, their livelihood and working to displace them.

It called on the parties and civil society organisations to stand with the cargo and unloading workers in their fair cases.