Alport Banjul workers demand removal of Managing Director

Workers at Alport Banjul Limited and the Banjul Shipyard have passed a vote of no confidence in Managing Director Salih Levent Kaçar, demanding his immediate removal. The Alport Staff Association has issued a five-working-day ultimatum to the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) Board of Directors and the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure to address these demands.

The association, representing 862 employees transferred from the GPA following the port's concession to private management, cited several grievances. These include persistent communication failures, the inability to implement government-brokered resolutions from June, and a failure to fulfill commitments regarding employee welfare and the approved 2026 staff budget.

Staff representatives emphasized that the dispute is not directed at the port concession itself, but rather at the current leadership's management style and failure to uphold previous agreements. Workers have warned that continued failure to address these issues could lead to industrial action, potentially disrupting operations at the Banjul Port, a critical hub for the Gambian economy.