The Free Confederation of Workers of Mauritania (CLTM), through the National Dockworkers’ Union, has warned of the serious social and legal consequences of the ongoing crisis affecting dockworkers at the Autonomous Port of Nouakchott. The union stressed that this crisis is not sudden, but rather the result of a long process of failures and complications spanning several years.
The union explained that one of the key stages of this crisis dates back to the period between 2013 and 2017, when dockworkers waged continuous struggles to demand organizational reforms and guarantees to protect their rights. Among these demands was the right to work inside the port by opening containers on-site instead of having them removed directly from ships, in order to ensure real and stable employment opportunities.
Against this backdrop, and following a series of consultations and negotiations involving the state, employers, and trade unions, an agreement was reached to clean up the dockworkers’ rosters by excluding those unable to work, such as the elderly and the sick. A joint technical committee was established, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Employment, the Ministry of Equipment, and employers. After a full year of work, the committee reduced the number of dockworkers from more than 6,000 to 2,500 workers—a figure officially adopted by the three parties as the actual number to be employed on a permanent basis.
In this context, an official protocol agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by all concerned parties, including three government ministers and the media. The protocol stipulated that it would enter into force immediately upon signature and would be fully binding on all parties. Its first article provided that the unloading companies operating at the port would form an Economic Interest Group (EIG) to serve as the sole employer responsible for employing the 2,500 dockworkers listed on the official roster.
However, the union stated that the implementation of the protocol was subjected to systematic obstruction due to interference by influential parties. This later prompted the port administration to launch a tender to manage the activity in accordance with the agreed terms. The company SOGETRAP, which won the bid, initially declared its commitment to respecting the protocol and employing the 2,500 dockworkers. According to the union, however, the company reneged on its commitments after signing the contract and showed a lack of seriousness in implementing its provisions.
The union further noted that the then Director General of the port, Mr. Sidi Ahmed Ould Rais, insisted on enforcing the protocol and informed the company that any breach of its obligations would result in the withdrawal of the contract. This stance was met with pressure campaigns and manipulation that ultimately led to his dismissal and the appointment of new administrations that served the company’s interests, paving the way for the implementation of a policy to reduce the number of dockworkers in what the union described as an arbitrary and illegal manner.
According to the statement, this policy resulted in the dismissal of approximately 2,000 experienced and qualified dockworkers, some of whom had served at the port since the 1970s, without prior notice or respect for legal procedures. This led to a severe social and humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands of families without any source of income and in conditions of extreme vulnerability and poverty.
The National Dockworkers’ Union considered this mass dismissal a flagrant violation of the law, a breach of the signed agreement, and an assault on human rights and workers’ rights. It held the relevant authorities responsible for failing to grasp the seriousness of these developments and their potential impact on social peace and national stability.
In conclusion, the union reaffirmed that the only legally recognized framework is the officially signed protocol agreement, and that the legally acknowledged number of dockworkers is 2,500. It stressed that any action taken outside this framework is null and void. The union also demanded the immediate reinstatement of all dismissed workers, the opening of a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the failure to implement the agreement, accountability for those responsible for this crisis, and an end to the interference of special interests that threaten workers’ rights and social stability.
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