The Crisis Unit for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the Port Authority of Kribi (PAK) met last around its Chairman Modeste Jocelyn AKOO, also Technical Advisor N° 1. An unusual meeting attended by staff representatives. In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Unit underscored that despite the ongoing pandemic, PAK’s General Management wishes to strike a better balance between work and staff health. Port activities, which have never been halted, must continue unabated, but with healthy, protected, and conscientious personnel. Unfortunately, from the Unit’s observation, the protective measures commonly referred to as barrier measures seem to be experiencing some sort of weariness at present.

Hence the imperative of remobilization through new strategies, new narratives and, above all, new faces. It is for this reason that staff representatives were invited to the Crisis Unit meeting for the fight against COVID-19 to henceforth bear their own touch. Modeste Jocelyn AKOO thus officially urged the PAK staff representatives to be more active in the fight against the pandemic, and thus fulfilling their mission as representatives. From now on, it shall be their responsibility, alongside the members of the Crisis Unit, to ensure compliance with barrier measures, viz: mandatory wearing of masks, screening for temperature at the entrance to the PAK premises, regular hand washing, use of hydroalcoholic gel, and respect of social distancing within and outside the company.

The Chairman of the Crisis Unit did not fail to sensitise staff representatives on the quarantine of some exposed staff. Everyone should know why and how one may go on lockdown. Other colleagues also need to understand this to avoid unnecessary stigmatisation. On behalf of his colleagues, Olivier ZE MEKOU hailed the invitation of the Crisis Unit. However, he deplored certain discriminatory practices, such as the disinfection of offices and not of service vehicles, and the lack of hydro-alcoholic gels in such vehicles. The Crisis Unit pledged to remedy this situation as soon as possible. In fine, the staff representatives committed to performing the bridging work required of them in order to block the way to the Coronavirus.