Porters at Kampala Bus Park call off strike

The angry youth working at Juba-Kampala Bus Park in Sherikat have called off their demonstration as police stepped in to apprehend them.

A leader of the porters who refused to be mentioned for fear of reprisal said they called off the demonstration last week on Friday.

The source said the matter has been referred to the law-enforcing authorities in Sherikat.

Last week, a group of angry protesters stormed Kampala Bus Park in Sherikat on Friday claiming 70 per cent employment in the Kampala bus station. 

One Ugandan employee identified as Joseph, who works for Friendship Bus Company, was injured in the protest.

However, sources on the ground revealed that the violent protesters were apprehended by the police that same day. 

Garang Thuch, an officer working at the bus park said what the porters wanted was not to chase away the Ugandans but special positions like managers and clearance.

“They said the Ugandans should be holding other key positions like account managers,” said Thuch.

“There are few South Sudanese nationals working in junior positions such as bringing customers [and] this is why they were protesting but now they have not even been granted what they want. And no rules set to make sure that South Sudanese work in managerial positions,” he said.

Protests

On Friday, the protesters accused Ugandans of controlling the park, that they (South Sudanese) were only given petty jobs like bringing customers or travellers to the bus. 

A Sherikat resident, Deng Majok, said the protestors wanted a lion’s share of jobs at the park.

 “I took my phone for charging when I found South Sudanese demonstrating at the gate of Kampala Bus Park. They were carrying banners which read that ‘‘we don’t need any more foreigners here, this job from today will be for us.”

They wanted work to be for them instead of the Ugandans because Ugandans are controlling most of the jobs in the park,” Deng said.

“Whenever our people want jobs from them, they don’t allow them. This is what caused the conflict.”

Closure of the park

However, some buses from Kampala were seen entering the park yesterday.

The locals in Sherikat claimed that the Ugandans have been dominating the jobs at the Kampala bus park even before the park was relocated from Custom to Sherikat in 2015.

Sunday Akim, inspector of Friendship Bus Company who is also a Ugandan national told the City Review last week that they had been surviving on petty deals of luggage. 

The abolishment of the visa fees has also rendered some offices idle. For instance, the customs officials at the bus park said they had no serious business since they stopped charging Ugandans living within the park.

“There is no business taking place here at the park. We don’t even charge Ugandans working for bus companies who live with us here in the park because of that,” said Jack Simon, who said he was the Head of Security with Professional Security Unit in Sherikat.