Port Autonome de Lomé dockers return to work after agreement

Dockers at the Port Autonome de Lomé (PAL) have returned to work following a resolution between the port's management and the Syndicat des Agents du Port Autonome de Lomé (SYAPAL). The agreement ends nearly two weeks of uncertainty and follows a 72-hour strike in mid-August.

Key terms of the agreement include the reintegration of dockers who were previously not rehired. The port administration has also committed to reviewing 12 specific points of demand raised by the union. To improve working conditions, management announced several measures, including the distribution of protective masks, the provision of milk rations per shift, the construction of sanitary blocks, and the establishment of a modern canteen. Additionally, plans are in place to improve worker transportation between assembly points and the quay within one month.

The resolution secures the operations of Togo's primary economic hub, which processes over 35 million tons of goods and more than 2 million TEUs annually, preventing further regional logistical congestion.