Organized by the Syndicat des Auxiliaires de Transport du Sénégal, SATS, (a member organization of the Conseil National du Patronat du Sénégal), the solemn handover ceremony of Universal Health Coverage (CMU) booklets and the actual delivery of full safety outfits to hundreds of their employees, exactly 550 so-called "dockers on identity cards", was highly and joyously celebrated, on the morning of this Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Bel Air, on the premises of SATS.

The event, initiated by the President of SATS, Syndicat des Auxiliaires de Transport du Sénégal (a member organization of the Conseil National du Patronat du Sénégal), Mr. Mohamed Abdoulaye DIOP (also Regional Director of Africa Global Logistics Afrique Atlantique) and the Secretary General of SATS, Mr. Amadou Massar SARR, and their teams, involved the issue of Universal Health Coverage (CMU) booklets and the formal handover of complete safety outfits (trousers, shirts, helmets, etc.). Amadou Massar SARR and their teams, the delivery of Universal Health Coverage (CMU) booklets and the formal handover of complete safety outfits (pants, shirts, hard hats, safety shoes and fluorescent vests) to 550 of their "Dockers on ID card" employees.

In the presence of SATS members, as well as the representative of the Port Autonome de Dakar and Secretary General of the PAD, Mr. Momar Ngary Bâ, and several SATS member companies were represented. Momar Ngary Bâ; with several of SATS' member companies represented, including Mme Diouf, Vice-President of SATS (SISMAR); Mr Jérôme Besème (General Manager of Dakar Terminal), Mr Déthié Fall (CMA - CGM), and Mr Richard Kassoga of SNTT. Mr. Kane, representing the CMU (Couverture Maladie Universelle) also attended the event, along with his colleague from the Keur Massar department.

As did Mr. Momath Seck, General Secretary of the SITTUPS (UNSAS) dockworkers' union at SATS, who also spoke on behalf of the other dockworkers' union at SATS, SOADS, whose General Secretary is Mr. Abdoul Mbaye, to the large audience of over 500 people.

After prayers, very appropriate in this doubly holy period of Ramadan and Christian Lent, the word of welcome fell to the SATS General Secretary, Mr. Amadou Massar Sarr. Amadou Massar Sarr, who spoke of the importance of this event, recalling the road travelled to date, where employees have been given every advantage - from motorcycles to cars, not forgetting the famous Tabaski sheep - until today, when they can brandish the CMU card to access health care for their entire family.

Dockers "on Identity Cards" Moussa Camara and Badara Gueye thanked him. "Dear Secretary General Amadou Massar Sarr, we take this opportunity to thank you. For everything you've done for the dockers," said Mr. Camara to his moved and enthusiastic colleagues. "We can say today that you have played a very important role in the port community (...) Because it's thanks to you that dockers no longer have to wait in long queues to receive their wages. Today, dockers can withdraw their wages without any difficulty.

During the year 2023, you granted more than 300 Tabaski sheep, then 350 EPI (Personal Safety Equipment) were distributed to all CI Dockers; and also 250 people benefited from CMU (...). It's thanks to you that the majority of our dockworkers benefit from bank loans to build their own homes", said Moussa Camara, in an alert tone of voice, to thunderous applause from the audience.

And this grace evoked by the dockers was not mentioned by SATS President Mohamed Abdoulaye Diop in his speech. "Our meeting this morning is confirmation of SATS' determination to humanize labor relations within the company", he notes. And now they, at SATS, have a duty to "make up for the fact that the texts do not take into account the daily workforce made up of dockers with identity cards, complete outfits and social protection", says Mr. Diop. Diop.

The president of SATS points out that Senegal has been part of an international drive for Universal Health Coverage (CMU) since 2005, adding that the priority of this program has been expressed since 2013. "That's why the SATS union has signed up to this assistance and mutual aid mechanism to promote financial access to healthcare for vulnerable groups, such as dockworkers with identity cards", says Mr. Diop.

For the past two years, SATS has been providing 300 complete outfits (safety shoes, helmets, pants and shirts, and fluorescent vests) free of charge. This oath to ensure that these workers are in optimal safety conditions, makes us remember the words of President Mouhamed Diop, which sound like a maxim: "Indeed, we mustn't lose our lives trying to win them".