The union representing workers at the Port Autonome de Lomé has filed a strike notice for three days, from 25 to 27 June 2026, to protest unmet social and professional demands. This action follows several general meetings held since October 2025, with workers deeming the progress insufficient.

Renewed social standoff

Tensions remain high at the Port Autonome de Lomé. For months, workers have denounced difficult working conditions, citing low wages, limited accident coverage, and a lack of safety equipment at certain sites. Despite repeated warnings, the union believes discussions with management have failed to produce concrete outcomes.

This unrest affects a strategic sector. The port employs over 3,000 dockworkers and other staff whose role is vital to Togo’s economy. For striking workers, the stakes extend beyond internal grievances: they aim to defend the smooth operation of a key economic asset.

Demands on the table

In its statement, the union demands a single status for all personnel, respect for daily breaks and weekly rest, as well as annual leave and its corresponding allowance. It also calls for applying the collective agreement to tally clerks classified alongside dockworkers.

Workers also insist on overtime pay in line with regulations, registration of all casual dockworkers with the National Social Security Fund, and provision of dirt and handling allowances. Finally, the union wants recruitment dates to count throughout a worker’s career at the port, and for classifications and related benefits to appear clearly on pay slips.

Call to action

The union calls on all Port Autonome de Lomé employees to stop work during the three-day strike and to stay away from their posts. It stresses that the right to strike remains individual, and each worker is free to participate or not.

This announced strike once again places the port’s management before its responsibilities. In a strategic enterprise already burdened by significant debt, resolving this social conflict now appears critical for both stability and governance.

By Boureima Amadou — Reporter