No milk, no salad and no flights - but lots of sand
Writing in Kuwait Times, Badrya Darwish in a column "No milk, no salad and no flights - but lots of sand", said that the current situation in Kuwait was hilarious
Manama: Writing in Kuwait Times, Badrya Darwish in a column "No milk, no salad and no flights - but lots of sand", said that the current situation in Kuwait was hilarious.
"It is unprecedented that everything is closed and we are all trapped. At least before, when the price of tomatoes suddenly increased, I told myself ‘Never mind! I will eat my penne (macaroni) with white sauce. No need for tomatoes. Actually, penne tastes delicious in white sauce.'I told myself that I was going to eat green salad. Let over-priced tomatoes rot in co-ops. I was eating lettuce and cucumbers," she wrote.
"Today, however, there is nothing. There are no cucumbers and no lettuce. Even if I want to eat my penne with bechamel sauce, there is no milk to prepare it. On top of that, as a Kuwaiti I would have travelled to Dubai to escape the crisis till tomatoes and milk hit the shelves again. As you all know, Kuwait Airways also decided to strike at the same time as the customs and grounded its fleet. Now we are stranded. And not only that, but we are so lucky that we get sandstorms at the same time. Jazeera alone cannot cope with the rush to Dubai on the weekends. So, we are stuck and forced to watch what will happen with the clash between KA and the government."
Strikes in Kuwait
- Although workers are legally permitted to join unions, less than 5% of the labour force is unionised. There is only one trade union federation allowed by law and the right to strike is limited.
- Strikes are increasing despite being only allowed in the private sector, which is not organised, is very small and is mostly composed of foreigners.
- In the event of a collective dispute, a dispute resolution procedure must be exhausted before lawful strike action can be taken. There is, however, no protection for strikers against retribution by the state. The courts can dissolve any union that violates the labour laws or that threatens public order and morality.
Government's attitude:
- All strikes must be kept within the law, which bans strikes from affecting the running of the country or endangering national security.
- Workers who overstep the boundaries may face legal action
- Strikes and sit-ins delay development plans, disrupts the workflow of government agencies and reflect negatively on Kuwait
Strikes in 2010:
- In April, oil workers protested against privatisation plans and wages
- In June, the Kuwait Trade Union Federation held a demonstration to protest against what it called the government's selective method of awarding salary increases
- In August, around 185 bus drivers went on strike over a recent pay cut of KD 50
- In November, baggage handlers and airport cleaners went on strike.
- Information from the International Trade Union Confederation
