KUWAIT CITY, May 16: Various labor unions in the country have agreed to hold demonstrations to ensure the government approves their demand for salary increment and allowances, reports Al-Jarida daily quoting Chairperson of the Union of Public Sector Workers Syndicates Fouhad Al-Ajmi.
Al-Ajmi revealed the unions will meet this week to prepare for a protest action they intend to carry out next week. He affirmed the union is keen on working in the interest of the public, so the government must prevent the escalation of tension and closure of public institutions, which serve the populace, by approving the salary increment and allowance requests.

Commenting on the recent statement of Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah on holding demonstrations to demand allowances, Al-Ajmi asserted, “With all due respect to the minister, he is not in a position to guide us on the kind of action we should take because we know our rights and responsibilities.”
In another development, Al-Hurriya daily has quoted a number of academicians and citizens as saying that the spread of unjustified sit-ins throughout the country recently is a clear indication of improper use of democracy.

They cited the recent protest action organized by opposition representatives in Umm Al-Haiman as a case in point as the children were encouraged to join the demonstration. They warned this action might lead to rebellion in the future, pointing out people have right to hold demonstrations but they should not instigate chaos and must not go beyond the limits of the Constitution and the law. They also condemned the parliamentarians who supported the strike.