The workers’ union at the Autonomous Port of Lomé has filed a three-day strike notice from June 25 to 27, 2026, to protest the failure to address several social and professional demands. The action follows numerous general meetings held since October 2025, which workers consider insufficient in progress.
Social tension escalates again
Social tension remains high at the Autonomous Port of Lomé. For months, workers have complained about difficult working conditions, including insufficient salaries, limited accident coverage, and a lack of safety equipment at certain sites. Despite repeated warnings, the union believes that talks with management have not led to concrete solutions.
This situation affects a strategic sector. The port employs over 3,000 dockers and other workers whose role is crucial to Togo’s economic activity. For the strikers, the stakes go beyond internal demands: it is also about protecting the proper functioning of a major economic asset.
Key demands on the table
In its statement, the union demands a single status for all staff, respect for daily breaks and weekly rest, as well as annual leave and its associated allowance. It also calls for the application of the company’s collective agreement to checkers classified as dockers.
Workers also demand payment of overtime in accordance with regulations, registration of all casual dockers with the National Social Security Fund, and the granting of a dirt allowance and a handling allowance. The union further wants the hiring date to be considered throughout the professional career at the port, and that classifications and corresponding benefits appear clearly on pay slips.
Call for mobilization
The union calls on all workers at the Autonomous Port of Lomé to stop work during the three-day period and not to report to their duty stations. It reminds, however, that the right to strike remains individual and each employee is free to participate or not.
This announced strike once again puts the port’s management before its responsibilities. In a strategic company already weakened by significant debt, resolving this social conflict now appears to be a matter of stability as much as governance.
