24 October 2011
KUWAIT: Members of the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) Employees Union will stage a strike today. "The strike will begin at 8am and go on until 1pm," stressed Abdullah Al-Hajri, Chairman of the Union on Saturday at the Union's premises in Shaab. "We did not want to strike. The government has forced us to choose this path to obtain rights. The government and the management of KAC are responsible for flight delays and pilgrims' flights. They delayed granting KAC employees' rights," added Abdullah Al-Hajri
.
Ahmad Al-Anezi, Chairman of the Customs Employees Union said, "Strikes are being held randomly. It is their right according to international conventions and laws. The government has forced unions to stage strikes and protests, ignoring employees' rights," he noted. The Secretary General of the KAC Union Hussein Habib announced that the demands put forward by KAC and its sisters companies' employees are reasonable.
The Union was keen on including all the employees without exceptions made in demands made in terms of allowances, increases, and titles. The boards of KAC have received all of our demands through the Union. They didn't implement any of it as promised until now. Every day they come up with a new excuse. We insist on our rights as promised by members of General Assembly, " he pointed out. Finally, members of the general assembly voted to down tools on Oct 24.
Meanwhile, next Wednesday, Oct 27, is set to witness further strikes by legal staff at all government ministries and public institutions. Speaking at a press conference held at the National Union for Kuwait Workers and Employees, Legal Staff Union president Hamad Al-Warddan announced that "A period was given to the Cabinet, which promised to approve the legal staff's rights deprived by the Civil Service Commission. The government is not respecting the promises it made to us. It discriminates between the staff, especially by increasing the salaries of Fatwa Department staff, investigators, and municipality staff.
According to Al-Warddan the government is currently instigating problems by not honoring its word. "The government is responsible for the inconvenience that people face and it is also responsible for any losses caused by the strike. The strike will go on and the union will not attend negotiations unless a decree that cancels all discrimination and rules all legal staff to be equal is issued," he added.
The union is thought to be considering submitting an official complaint to the Human Rights Organization and the International Labor Organization, reporting the officials they claim oppress them. "The government is totally responsible, as its responsibly is based on the acts of its officials," Al-Warddan pointed out.
Meanwhile Secretary-General of the Legal Staff Union Dr Faisal Al-Fadli highlighted the importance of the legal staff's work. "They are responsible for applying the law, protecting public funds, observing violations and further responsibilities. Any institution can't work without a legal department that protects it," he said.
The previous strike was interrupted as the strikers were promised their demands would be met. The government didn't implement its promise of changing their titles. It was promised that changes would come into effect within one month, which is now over. And now our strike will be continuing until the titles are changed," he further said.
Al-Fadli also believes that the statement of official government spokesman Ali Al-Rashid regarding the government's intention to replace legal staff with policemen and soldiers spoiled the reputation of Kuwait internationally in the field of labor and human rights.
KUWAIT: Members of the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) Employees Union will stage a strike today. "The strike will begin at 8am and go on until 1pm," stressed Abdullah Al-Hajri, Chairman of the Union on Saturday at the Union's premises in Shaab. "We did not want to strike. The government has forced us to choose this path to obtain rights. The government and the management of KAC are responsible for flight delays and pilgrims' flights. They delayed granting KAC employees' rights," added Abdullah Al-Hajri
.
Ahmad Al-Anezi, Chairman of the Customs Employees Union said, "Strikes are being held randomly. It is their right according to international conventions and laws. The government has forced unions to stage strikes and protests, ignoring employees' rights," he noted. The Secretary General of the KAC Union Hussein Habib announced that the demands put forward by KAC and its sisters companies' employees are reasonable.
The Union was keen on including all the employees without exceptions made in demands made in terms of allowances, increases, and titles. The boards of KAC have received all of our demands through the Union. They didn't implement any of it as promised until now. Every day they come up with a new excuse. We insist on our rights as promised by members of General Assembly, " he pointed out. Finally, members of the general assembly voted to down tools on Oct 24.
Meanwhile, next Wednesday, Oct 27, is set to witness further strikes by legal staff at all government ministries and public institutions. Speaking at a press conference held at the National Union for Kuwait Workers and Employees, Legal Staff Union president Hamad Al-Warddan announced that "A period was given to the Cabinet, which promised to approve the legal staff's rights deprived by the Civil Service Commission. The government is not respecting the promises it made to us. It discriminates between the staff, especially by increasing the salaries of Fatwa Department staff, investigators, and municipality staff.
According to Al-Warddan the government is currently instigating problems by not honoring its word. "The government is responsible for the inconvenience that people face and it is also responsible for any losses caused by the strike. The strike will go on and the union will not attend negotiations unless a decree that cancels all discrimination and rules all legal staff to be equal is issued," he added.
The union is thought to be considering submitting an official complaint to the Human Rights Organization and the International Labor Organization, reporting the officials they claim oppress them. "The government is totally responsible, as its responsibly is based on the acts of its officials," Al-Warddan pointed out.
Meanwhile Secretary-General of the Legal Staff Union Dr Faisal Al-Fadli highlighted the importance of the legal staff's work. "They are responsible for applying the law, protecting public funds, observing violations and further responsibilities. Any institution can't work without a legal department that protects it," he said.
The previous strike was interrupted as the strikers were promised their demands would be met. The government didn't implement its promise of changing their titles. It was promised that changes would come into effect within one month, which is now over. And now our strike will be continuing until the titles are changed," he further said.
Al-Fadli also believes that the statement of official government spokesman Ali Al-Rashid regarding the government's intention to replace legal staff with policemen and soldiers spoiled the reputation of Kuwait internationally in the field of labor and human rights.
© Kuwait Times 2011
