Seafarers continue strike action; still gathered at base

The Association of Professional Seafarers in Douala is still carrying on a strike action that started on July 2, 2014 in front of their Bepanda Omnisports base.

According to the head of the association, Albert Simon Mienlam, they want the General Manager of the Douala Port Authority to sign an authorisation that will permit them carry out their duties as professional seafarers at the seaport.

He explained that Article Two of an agreement with the Ministry of Transport on the functioning of seafarers states that the General Manager of the Douala Port Authority has to issue them an authorisation to work as professional seafarers at the port.

“We have fulfilled the conditions the Minister of Transport gave us. We also fulfilled that of the Douala Port Authority seven months back but we are surprised that till this moment, the authorisation has not been given. We have already paid FCFA 1.5 million as tax and FCFA 700,000 as file processing fee as well as subscribed for an insurance cover at FCFA 2.5 million, among other requirements.

We cannot understand why seafarers who are not paid by the State are refused authorisation,” Albert regretted. He added that they have refused to join bike riders for a violent strike action and that when they shall get tired of waiting, they will signal the International Maritime Body to prohibit vessels from harbouring at the seaport.

The seafarers’ whose job consists of the upkeep of vessels, security of ships and crew onboard as well as the security of goods, say they were refused access into the port shortly after they founded the Association of Professional Seafarers in November 2011.

The Administrative Director of the Association, Donatien Mbadjouin made known that they worked as unprofessionals before and that those who parade as seafarers at the port today are porters and quarter boys who know nothing about the profession. However, all efforts to get the version of the Port Authority failed.