March 11--JEDDAH -- A top official at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah has said that the airport administration is investigating the reasons behind the one-day strike that was staged on Friday by 380 baggage workers at the airport's southern lounge and has pledged to take action against the company contracted to provide these workers if investigations prove it is behind the strike.
"Authorities immediately intervened when the workers began their strike to ensure that they returned to their jobs without disruption," said Abdulhamid Aba Al-Ari, the airport's general director.
The workers ended their strike early Saturday. The strike was staged in protest at the increased daily workload, which took a toll on the volume of tips the workers received from handling passenger baggage.
"Punitive measures will be in line with the terms of agreement and contracts between the company and the airport," he said.
He said the agreement stipulates that the company provide the trolleys and not the workers. "The company is supposed to provide 3,500 trolleys in both the northern and southern lounges around the clock," he said. "However, the airport administration is responsible for solving day-to-day problems. Our utmost concern is that operations and passenger flow are not affected."
Copyright 2014 - Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
