Kuwait Times

Published Date: December 13, 2007
By Nawara Fattahova, Staff writer

KUWAIT: During the last few months, holding strikes have become a trend in Kuwait. Different labor unions and societies have been going on strike and protesting in order to increase the rights of its members and employees. Some labor groups were threatened by the government for participating in strikes. Because of this, the Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) held a symposium entitled 'Strikes are the Laborer's Legal Right' yesterday at their headquarters in Maidan Hawally.

The media has played a key role in discussing and covering various strikes in Kuwait held by laborers. "The main purpose of holding this symposium was to explain the meaning of the word strike, its historical development, and some mistakes issued or announced by the media," said Khalid Al-Azami, Chairman of KTUF.

Labor unions in Kuwait have held many strikes and protests which were never political or aggressive. "The strikes held by the laborers in Kuwait were always peaceful, not causing any material or intellectual harm. They held strikes only to demand their economic or social rights. The rights of laborers are also a part of national interest. This group has the right to protect their interests especially in these difficult times, with prices constantly increasing," Al-Azami further said.

All international legal systems and organizations approve of holding strikes. This right is a part of the international convention which is ratified by Kuwait and which is a source of local legislation. "The Union Freedoms Committee of the International Labor Organization (ILO) issued resolutions which approved holding strikes as one of the necessary ways used by labor organizations. Laborers are free to demand an increase in their salaries as this is one of the union's rights," he added.

Forbidding the right to hold a strike by laborers is a breach of the union's freedoms set at the international labor conventions. "Speaking about the legitimacy of this right is an attempt to confiscate this right, which we will never allow. Strikes are held in all democratic countries around the world. It's considered the last opportunity for laborers to demand their rights after all other ways of discussions and meetings have failed," Al-Azami noted.

Al-Azami pointed out that strikes are not new in Kuwait as laborers have been holding them for more than 60 years. "If some people see these strikes as a foreign phenomena in our society, they must know that Kuwaiti laborers started holding strikes and protests since the 1940s when they first joined oil companies and were suffering from discrimination when compared with foreign laborers," he pointed out.

The first strike in Kuwait was held in 1948 when taxi drivers protested against being banned of taking customers to trips outside Kuwait's gates. "This strike was the beginning of other protests. Another famous strike was held in 1951 by KOC drivers when the organizing laborers of this strike were fired from their job. The laborers demonstrated and this led to many positive results such as approving the 14-day annual leave and other benefits," Al-Azami highlighted.

After labor unions were founded and after the labor law was issued in 1964, strikes became organized. "Laborers had the right to establish unions and both the public and oil sectors witnessed many strikes wherein some of their demands, such as paid leaves, were realized. After being refused by Parliament, the new labor law for the oil sector was approved in 1969," he added.

The government carries the responsibility of the recent strikes which are being held by laborers as they refused all the laborers' demands. "The increasing knowledge of laborers about their rights played an important role in provoking them to go on strike. Moreover, the increasing number of labor unions helped in increasing the number of strikes. The government feared this and this led to putting pressure on laborers," Al-Azami concluded.

The symposium was attended by chairmen from other unions and by numerous laborers. Salim Al-Ajmi, the Chairman of the Social Affairs and Labor Union criticized the KTUF for not moving against Cabinet resolution no. 1113, which bans strikes and protests.

Thabit Al-Haroun, the Representative of the ILO in Kuwait, demanded that the KTUF and other unions follow up the issues of laborers and preserve their rights. "The threats you heard about submitting complaints to the ILO became useless and are nonsense," Al-Haroun said.