The president of the Stevedores Section of the United Seamen Ports and General Workers Union of Liberia (USPOGUL), Adam Sayon Washington, has vowed to prevail on the APM Terminals and other companies to ensure Liberians in their employ work for eight hours, in line with the Liberian law.
The Stevedores is a section of the United Seamen Ports and General Workers Union of Liberia with over 3,000 members.
Washington made the statement when he delivered his inaugural address on Friday, February 24, 2024 on the Bushrod Island. He observed that according to the Liberian law, all workers in the country must work for eight hours and his administration will ensure this law is respected by the company.
According to him, his focus as the Head is to defend, protect, and restore the lost hope of all Stevedores in Liberia.
“We have a great task ahead, which is our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and I can promise you that your wish will be fulfilled in our (CBA) this year,” he stressed.
Washington also named the increment of wages of his members and increment in the number of lasers on all container vessel operations.
The Head of the group maintained that all Stevedore companies in Liberia must have a bank deposit before the body can work for them, noting that, “Stevedoring agencies during container operation must have US$10,000 while stevedoring agencies during rice vessels must have US$100,000.”
He promised to work with his team to abolish the issue of delay in the payment of all Stevedore agencies at the Free Port of Monrovia
He indicated that APM Terminals Liberia will take responsibility for all Stevedores working in the terminal through insurance coverage of both medical and benefits, stressing that the company wants to take the lion share of the money.
“We signed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Liberia shipping and Stevedoring association of Liberia (SSAL) and the SSA has a contract agreement with APM Terminals Liberia, and we don’t know what is in their contract agreement with APM Terminals, therefore I will make sure APM Terminals and SSAL will pay all our Stevedores that work for Cavalla Brothers Corporation (CBC) and Stevent Stevedoring Agency,” Adam Sayon Washington averred.
The colorful event brought together scores of members of the Union, officials from the Liberian Government, particularly the Ministry of Labor, the Liberia Labor Congress, United Workers Union of Liberia, and the Dock Workers Union of Liberia, among others.
