AMMAN —
Hundreds of
Aqaba port workers organized an open strike Wednesday in front of
the city’s governorate building in protest against the lack of occupational
safety measures in the ports, two days after a lethal gas leak killed 13 and
injured hundreds at one of the ports when a tank that was being lifted onto a
ship fell and ruptured.
اضافة اعلان
On Tuesday, the
union committee of workers at the
Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management announced its intention to carry out an open strike by workers at
all port sites and in all departments, starting Wednesday. They tried to
organize a protest at the entrance of Prince Rashid Marine Club, but were
dispersed by gendarmerie and security personnel.
The head of the
union committee, Ahmad Al-Amayreh, told
Jordan News that “we demand that
the company adopt public safety measures and provide new handling tools, and
this is the least we are asking for to protect workers’ lives.”
He said that all
workers will participate in the open strike until a decision is made. But of
the 2,300 workers employed by the company, only a few hundred are reported to
have stayed away from work on Wednesday.
Amayreh said that
the port administration never contacted the union even after a worker lost his
life last year due to falling pipes.
He stressed that
the majority of workers handle a variety of materials, some of which “are very
dangerous, and this requires experience and ample preparation of staff”.
“The
administration does not care about workers because they are not a priority, and
every worker tries to protect himself in simple ways,” he added.
Several workers
claimed that Monday’s tragic incident could have been averted if the company
had replaced a worn-out steel cable that broke.
Committee spokesperson
Salah Al-Btoush told
Jordan News that he has been working in the port
for the past 25 years “and things are getting worse. We feel fear and anxiety,
especially in the presence of dangerous materials”.
One of the
workers said that the work environment is inappropriate; there are no toilets
or drinking water while they work under scorching temperatures.
Among other
demands of the striking workers is the departure of the chairman of Aqaba Ports
Management and Operation Company and of the chairman of the board of
commissioners, who workers blame for poor safety conditions.
The union announced a
sit-in on Sunday, when they will repeat their demands.
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