KUWAIT CITY, May 26: The Chairperson of Petroleum Workers Union, Salem Shebib Al-Ajmi, announced Tuesday evening that the union submitted an official petition to the International Labor Organization (ILO) against the Council of Ministers’ decision number 625, which forbids demonstrations and strikes.
Al-Ajmi affirmed that demonstrations and strikes are the rights of workers as enshrined in the Constitution.
In a statement during a demonstration organized by the Public Sector Workers Syndicate on “No to Freedom Restriction and Mouth Muzzling” at its headquarters, wherein several former lawmakers and social activists participated. He said the situation has reached a stage nobody wished for, and added that workers did not know the government was working toward such a decision.
He regarded the action as a dangerous trend in the nation and stain on the positive democratic record Kuwait has attained in the last ten years, amid genuine parliamentary system, and public and ideological freedom.

All indices clearly show the country is approaching a major and dangerous project, and a drastic change in economy. He stressed the change will give private groups the power over national wealth, natural resources, services and other active facilities.
“This is a kind of system affecting the major capitalist and developed nations, leading to incessant demonstrations and strike actions in many countries across the world, while the current situation in Athens and Bangkok is enough evidence of the negative implications of restricting citizens’ freedom,” the labor leader implied.