Muscat - Over a thousand employees of companies under contract with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Oxy Oman have been on strike for the last four days but oil production was unaffected.
“Omani workers, [mostly] drivers, have gone on strike since Thursday, and Saturday some of the catering contractor employees have also joined,” a member of the PDO employees union told Gulf News on the condition of not being named.
He said that none of the PDO employees joined the strike, but a large number of Omani workers [work for]the contractors.. “It is difficult to give numbers as workers hired by contractors on PDO job don’t come under the PDO union,” he pointed out.
According to a spokesperson for Galfar, a major contracting company in Oman, none of their 280 employees were on strike.
Sources said among the companies affected by the strike include: Attila Doğan, Al Turkey, STS, and Wood Group.According to the workers, their demands include 400 Omani riyals (Dh3,804) basic salary, risk allowance as well as provision of pension.
A worker said that these were the demands initially raised during protests in March.
“There has been no progress in meeting the demands hence we resorted to strike,” the worker added.
Another employee said that they have refused to meet Manpower Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bakri, who had reportedly expressed willingness to talk to the striking workers.
Oil and Gas Minister Mohammad Bin Hamad Al Rumhy met the striking workers, but so far no solution has been found.
According to sources, employees of nine contractors were on strike in Foud oil fields. Four companies in Nimr and in other places were affected by the strike.
