By: Christian Conteh
Operations at Freetown’s Main Water Quay ground to a halt today as frustrated workers downed tools in protest over low wages. For over two months, laborers have been demanding a pay increase, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
As of midday, not a single crate has been moved, leaving three vessels Saadgroup (a rice carrier), Mackie Maccem Cement, and a Chinese cargo ship, idle at the docks. The scene at the quay is one of eerie silence, with the usual hustle and bustle replaced by workers standing resolute in their demands for fair compensation.
The labourers, who endure gruelling hours of heavy lifting, currently earn a meagre 6 leones per hour, a wage they argue is insufficient to support their families.
Sallieu Turay, the Labor Chairman at the quay, voiced the frustrations of his fellow workers. “All we ask for is an increase in our salaries so we can earn a living wage. We’ve been patient, we’ve engaged management numerous times, but their promises remain unfulfilled.”
Turay, who has long urged his members to show restraint, now finds himself at a crossroads.
“I can no longer ask them to be patient. We have officially written to management, this strike is our last resort.”
The strike has paralyzed one of Sierra Leone’s most vital ports, and with no resolution in sight, the ripple effects on the country’s economy could be severe.
The Ministry of Labour has yet to comment on the issue.
Note: This is a developing story and we shall update you as it progresses.
