‘Govt exerting pressure to freeze Fishermen Union’s bank account’

Bid to force fishermen to hand over union’s building

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 1: Treasurer of Kuwait Fishermen Union Ali Al-Khayat disclosed that the government is putting pressure on the union through the decision taken by Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to freeze the bank account of the union and cut electricity supply to the building of the union, reports Al-Anba daily.

He explained that the aim of the abovementioned actions is to force the fishermen to hand over the heritage site of the union’s building. However, the fishermen have been occupying this place for more than 45 years, and they will never hand over the building irrespective of the pressures put on it.

Al-Khayat lamented that these actions are irresponsible and not justified, revealing that they were forced to rent a generator at KD 500 per month.

He said the union checked with Ministry of Electricity and Water and discovered that the electricity meter is still included in the system of the ministry and is still running even though the electricity supply to the union’s building has been cut.

Al-Khayat explained that Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor asked the bank in which the union has its bank account to suspend all financial transactions for the union including the salaries of the union employees. However, the salaries of the union employees are paid from the money collected in form of subscriptions from the members, and the government has nothing to do with them.

He called upon the government to provide an alternative location for the union instead of adopting such an unjustified policy.