The ITF has written to Foreign Minister of Senegal Yassine Fall requesting urgent intervention in the shocking and illegal dismissal of 103 road transport drivers by Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) earlier this month.
The truck drivers were terminated after demanding personal protective equipment (PPE) to enable them to carry out their daily work in safety, according to the ITF-affiliated Union des Routiers du Sénégal (URS).
“This retaliatory action is not only a clear violation of workers' rights but also undermines international law. This mass dismissal is incomprehensible and unacceptable in a country like Senegal, renowned worldwide for its democratic values and respect for human rights and workers' rights,” wrote ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton in a letter to the foreign minister.
“As the minister representing your country within the International Labour Organization, I would remind you of your responsibility to ensure that Senegal's international commitments are upheld and respected.”
“We urge you to engage with ICS and demand that they take immediate measures to reinstate the drivers. We also call on your ministry to address the longstanding exploitation to which these 103 drivers have been victim since 2018 – including being forced to work without employment contracts and social security registration – which also require immediate regularisation,” added Cotton.
Senegalese media have reported that when workers demanded PPE from ICS, they were dismissed without notice, without a formal reason, and without compensation – contrary to Senegalese labour law.
Some drivers worked for the company for over six years without being provided with an employment contract, another violation of labour law. In addition, workers were not enrolled in the national social security fund or health insurance program, meaning that in the event of illness or an injury drivers had to pay out-of-pocket for their own expenses.
“We have been exploited without a contract, without social protection and without law, and today, ICS wants to throw us away as waste to hide its crimes,” said Daouda Lo, Communications Officer of the URS.
ICS is a subsidiary of Indorama Corporation, a Singapore-based multinational. The company states that they are the largest producer of phosphate fertiliser products in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Media contact: media@itf.org.uk
