Ousman Drammeh, the President of the Gambia National Transport Agriculture Food and Industrial Workers Union has decried the frustrating working conditions of commercial truck drivers in The Gambia over the months saying over one hundred drivers are now sitting down without working.
At a press conference in his office on Tuesday, Mr Drammeh highlighted the ‘tormenting condition’ of commercial truck drivers in the country.
He said Gambian truck drivers are marginalized in favour of foreign operators in the transportation of merchandise and the union is denied its responsibility of issuing manifesto to cargo brokers.
“Could you imagine, Senegalese authorities are the ones issuing manifests to drivers in our own port” he said.
He noted the frustration on the lack of cooperation by the Ministry of Trade saying the Union has not been able to carry out its functions regarding the operation of commercial trucks.
Drammeh added that the Union is also faced with vehicle loading cargo in transit through Senegal which he said is been loaded by Senegalese cargo brokers.
“This has resulted to a great lost in revenue to The Gambian truck drivers who have been continuously marginalized in favor of foreign operators” he said.
He then confirmed that this is the biggest threat on the union since its existence in 1986.
