Aden harbour workers go on strike

Sana'a: Aden harbour workers went on a strike protesting against contracts made by the new administration of the Dubai Ports World (DPW), workers representatives said on Monday.

More than 90 per cent of the 600 workers of the harbour have been on the strike since Saturday, said Abdu Rabu Majda, a representative of the striking workers.

The strike comes a week after the DPW began to operate the Aden harbour according to an agreement signed in July between the Yemeni government and DPW.

"The reason for the strike was the new contracts which gave DPW the right to sack any worker who are all currently under a probation of six months," Majda told Gulf News.

About seven workers, who were chosen to represent the workers in negotiations with the DPW and the Yemeni authorities, were arrested by the security forces in Aden on the first day of the strike.

However, Aref Al Muhairi, director general of DPW, denied any problem at the harbour and denied imposing any new conditions. He said the strike did not affect the harbour. He said the work stopped only for three hours.

"We are operating 45 ports, and we know what we are doing," Al Muhairi told Gulf News. "There is nothing new in the contracts, they were agreed upon after four months of discussions with the Yemeni government."," he said.

"For those who do not like to work with us, it's up to them, they can go wherever they like," he added.