KUWAIT CITY, March 17: Around a dozen outgoing flights at the Kuwait International Airport were cancelled due to the strike staged Saturday by the employees of Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) to demand salary increment.

According to the deputy director of KAC’s Workers Syndicate, the corporation is expected to incur daily losses amounting to more than KD 56 million if the strike continues.

However, the Cabinet remains firm in its stand not to succumb to the ‘coercion policy’ used by the labor syndicates of the KAC, General Customs Administration and Kuwait Port Authority. Sources revealed the Cabinet will not approve the proposed pay raise unless the workers end their strike. Sources said the executive authority will reward those who did not participate in the recent wave of protest actions by approving their salary increase, while that of the participants in the strikes will be suspended until they report back to work.

Moreover, sources disclosed the government has obtained information that the National Assembly will hold a special session to approve the unstudied pay raise proposals. Sources

confirmed the government will not accept these proposals as it is a violation of its regulations.
Sources said the Cabinet will discuss Sunday a number of issues, including the labor strikes, proposed salary increments and the grilling request against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak. Sources affirmed the Cabinet will look into the possibility of increasing the salary increment proposed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from 25 to 35 percent. Sources added previous studies conducted on the proposed salary increment showed the Kuwaiti economy might be affected if salaries are increased by more than 35 percent.

In the meantime, the parliamentary majority will gather Sunday at the diwaniya of MP Osama Al-Munawer to discuss their stand on the current issues like the labor strikes and the position of the government in this regard.

Agencies add:
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has made recommendations on the demands of the trade union of Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) and submitted them to the Cabinet, KAC’s Managing Director Mohammad Al-Hilal announced Friday evening.

“The recommendations address all demands of the workers of KAC and its subsidiaries for pay rise, allowances and increments,” KAC’s representative said after his meeting with CSC’s undersecretary and assistant undersecretaries here.

“The Cabinet will make a final decision on the CSC recommendations during its coming meeting,” Al-Hilal added.

Meanwhile, the Labor Union Secretary of Kuwait Airways Corporation Hussein Saleh Habeeb warned against any disciplinary action that would be taken against the KAC employees who are participating in the strike action, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

He said it is unacceptable to intimidate or threaten the staff for the so-called act of ‘breaching the security and safety of the system’. He warned that the Union will fight against any obstacles that would disrupt the strike.

He added that the Union genuinely cares about the interests of the people and provides them with best services in times of difficulties. He said the Union is appreciative of the government’s sympathy; however it does not help in solving their problems.

He added the Union blames the government and Civil Service Commission for playing with employees’ demands, wasting their gains, trampling on their ambitions and tampering with their careers.
Saleh Habeeb expressed his gratitude to the MPs who stood in support of the KAC employees, stressing that these employees placed their trust on these MPs and voted for them for times like this when they would in turn stand by the employees and defend their rights.