Workers at South Port Container Terminal (SPCT) in Sudan on Monday went on strike over the concession of the terminal to Philippine-based International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI).
ICTSI in January announced that it has signed a 20-year concession agreement with Sea Ports Corporation of Sudan (SPC) to operate, manage and develop the one million TEU facility after it emerged the preferred bidder last year.
But the SPC has not made an official announcement about the concession of the terminal to ICTSI.
The strike by the workers coincided with the visit by the Northeast African country’s Prime Minister Moutaz Abdallah to the terminal to explain the benefits of the deal to the workers.
“Today with the Prime Minister’s visit, all the workers in the container terminal in Port Sudan’s port carried out a full strike. They numbered 1,800 workers.
“Our message and our demand to the government is to refuse the privatisation and cancel the contract with the Philippine company to protect the country’s resources,” said Workers Union Leader, Othman Taher.
ICTSI is expected to take over the concessioned facility before the end of the first quarter of this year.