SATS, the leading union of port transport auxiliaries in Senegal, and Dubai Port World (DP World Dakar) sign a memorandum of understanding: implementation of 03 daily shifts of 08 hours (the three eights).

On Friday, December 19, 2025, SATS (the Senegalese Transport Auxiliaries Union) and Dubai Port World, which operates the Container Terminal in the North Zone of the Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD), signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a three-shift system. This agreement was concluded to definitively address the recurring issue of harmonizing working hours, improving productivity, and optimizing the continuity of port operations through the implementation of staggered work schedules. It also takes into account both the increased competition from other West African ports on the Atlantic coast and the ongoing demand for unloading cargo by ships calling at the PAD. DP World Dakar and SATS have thus agreed to implement this structured system for planning, rotating, and managing the pool of dockworkers.

From now on, dockworkers (permanent and day laborers) hired by SATS on behalf of its members (port, maritime, and logistics operators) will unload goods from containers on ships arriving at the docks in Senegalese waters, working three 8-hour shifts. These shifts are distributed as follows: 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.

Amadou Massar Sarr, in his capacity as Secretary General of SATS, and Clarence Rodrigues, as Managing Director of DP World Dakar, initialed and countersigned the documents of this agreement, which is a real “game-changer”, a catalytic moment, for the Ports of Senegal, including the future port of Ndayane, which is in prospect in three years, to benefit from these modern developments in the professional practice of handling within the logistics chain, in our country which needs to increase its productivity, to remain at the level of what is done best.

A significant pool of dockworkers is covered by this agreement between SATS and DP World: nearly 300 dockworkers, whom SATS trains and equips free of charge with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment, such as work boots, hard hats, and overalls). As in all modern ports worldwide, and in keeping with the tradition of this traditionally male-dominated profession, dockworkers come in several profiles: professional dockworkers, casual dockworkers, and dockworkers with a temporary work permit.

All these dockworkers already have training and are authorized to access the DP World Terminal. They are highly professional, given that they are required to comply at all times with Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) procedures, wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and keep it clean, as well as follow mandatory training.

Aware of the requirements of the maritime sector, SATS and DP World have committed to collaborating constructively to ensure operational efficiency, the safety of goods and people, and the overall performance of the Terminal, with a semi-annual review of the agreement.

Amadou Massar Sarr, Secretary General of SATS, welcomed this progress, describing the agreement as "a win-win situation, bringing growth and added value, and a real turning point to strengthen the virtuous cycle of work value among our handlers."

Secretary General Amadou Massar Sarr emphasized this point: “I commend the pioneering nature and forward-thinking vision of this agreement, which will help us address the current challenges facing the Autonomous Port of Dakar, as well as the challenges of the Ndayane port, still under construction and known as the Port of the Future. For this port, we must have long been aligned with best practices in cargo handling and port logistics, in an increasingly globalized maritime world. The three eight-hour shifts were already in practice and operational at DP World Dakar, with their staff. But for us at SATS, this is an innovation, and we hope it will spread to other stakeholders. In any case, it bodes well for a sharing of working time among more actors, with, of course, a more humane approach, as is the case in ports worldwide. The reality of a changing world demands that we, as port stakeholders, move forward with the times.” And so, to be able to provide services equivalent in every respect to those offered in the best ports in the world. We are therefore starting here at the Port of Douala (PAD) with DP World. And when Ndayane is operational in three years, our dockworkers will already be accustomed to this level of performance, which respects legal working hours and workers' rights, and which SATS is proud to represent, to employ, and to help others to hire. We will now have three teams every 24 hours instead of two. This is an international best practice that we have just implemented.”

It should be noted that the introduction of the three eight-hour shifts at SATS foreshadows a significant future contribution to job creation. The 11 member companies of SATS have a strong impact in their sector, as evidenced by their key figures for 2024: in terms of tonnage, they handle over 9 million tons annually, out of a national annual total of 22 million tons; they have a permanent staff of 3,000 employees. Finally, in terms of day laborers, they employ 3,000 day laborers, with an average of 800 dockworkers per day.

Therefore, with the introduction of three eight-hour shifts within the SATS (Senegalese Port Authority), at least 1,000 new permanent jobs could be created quickly. This also meets the expectations of the Senegalese public authorities in this area, whether those of the Port of Dakar or the ministerial and governmental supervisory bodies: an ongoing public-private dialogue exists to continuously increase the number of employees and to ensure that Senegal's port stakeholders are increasingly equipped to serve shipping and maritime clients arriving from all time zones, and therefore at all hours. As part of his National Transformation Agenda "Senegal 2050," President Diomaye Faye has instructed his government to prioritize the blue economy, Senegal's ports, and port stakeholders, with particular attention paid to the living and working conditions of stevedores, starting with those in Dakar, the African continent's most advanced point in the Atlantic Ocean.

As a reminder, the Senegalese Transport Auxiliaries Union (SATS) is affiliated with the National Employers' Council of Senegal (CNP). The 11 members of SATS are: AGL, Dakar Terminal, SNTT, ITS, SIMAR, MSC, CMA-CMA Ceiba, Maersks, Diamond Shipping, and STIA. DP World Dakar, operator of the Container Terminal in the North Zone of the Autonomous Port of Dakar, is a subsidiary of the Emirati group Dubai Port World, a global leader in logistics and port management, present in 69 countries across all continents and employing approximately 106,500 people by 2025.

By Damel Gueye

(special correspondence)