In About-Face, Oil Workers End Strike, Return to Work
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SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 RAJAB 14, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Trump, Clinton UAE tycoon score huge launches largest wins in New Arab education Today is the LAST York primary fund with $1.4bn day of accepting the artworks for 7 13 21 the competition! In about-face, oil workers Min 19º Max 35º end strike, return to work High Tide 11:53 Low Tide MPs welcome move • KPC to restore full oil output 05:57 & 18:20 40 PAGES NO: 16851 150 FILS By B Izzak and Agencies ing table while the strike is still going on. Return to work and come and negotiate,” he told the private Al- KUWAIT: Kuwait’s state oil firm said yesterday it expects to Rai satellite television. restore full production within three days after workers HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah ended a strike in a surprise about-turn that triggered a met yesterday with the union’s leaders after they called renewed slide in world prices. The walkout by thousands off the strike. They discussed “the negative impact of the of staff of Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) and its subsidiaries strike and halting production at the vital oil facilities in on Sunday in a dispute over planned pay cuts had slashed addition to losses” caused by the industrial action, said an the state’s output from 3.0 million barrels per day to 1.5 official statement. The premier said the government million and prompted a brief rally in world prices. would fully respect any right for employees under the law But early yesterday, the Kuwait Oil Workers Union but it was not possible to “respond to any demands under announced its members were returning to work after what the pressure of work stoppage and disruption to vital it called an “extremely successful” strike that had made the interests,” said the statement quoted by the official KUNA government pay attention to their concerns. Staff were news agency. already returning to work in response to the union’s call, The union has yet to comment on the talks. The work- KPC said, adding that operations at its installations were ers’ demands include dropping plans to cut some benefits resuming. Company spokesman Sheikh Talal Khaled Al- in the face of falling oil prices and excluding the sector Sabah said a gradual return to normal production of 3.0 from a new payroll scheme for public employees. Saleh, million bpd “would take around three days”. who is also finance minister, said the government had not The union’s surprise announcement, which came just yet implemented any decision regarding oil workers’ pay. hours after its leaders had vowed to continue the strike The prime minister said KPC did not plan to cut its work- until all their demands were met, quashed hopes the dis- ers’ wages or their end of service indemnities. But he ruption could help ease a persistent supply glut and saw added that the company had decided to reduce future oil shed nearly a dollar on world markets. Prices “are com- pay rises in line with spending cuts adopted in other state ing under pressure again... after oil workers in Kuwait organizations. agreed to end their strike against wage and job cuts and He said that average monthly pay for oil sector staff in work to return output to pre-strike levels”, said analyst Kuwait was around $22,000, compared with about $4,200 Craig Erlam at trading firm Oanda. for civil servants. Saleh said that KPC planned to cut the The climbdown by the union came after an appeal annual pay rise received by its staff from 7.5 percent of by acting oil minister Anas Al-Saleh on Tuesday night their basic salary to 5.0 percent. Kuwait posted budget RIYADH: (Left) HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is welcomed at the air- for staff to return to work so that negotiations could be windfalls for 16 consecutive fiscal years due to high oil port by Saudi King Salman yesterday. (Right) US President Barack Obama and King Salman walk held on their demands. “We cannot sit at the negotiat- Continued on Page 13 together to a meeting at Erga Palace yesterday. — KUNA/AP Obama meets Saudi king RIYADH: US President Barack Obama held talks with channel Al-Ekhbaria did not broadcast Obama’s arrival Saudi Arabia’s King Salman yesterday as he began a although it did have live coverage of the Gulf leaders’ two-day visit hoping to ease tensions with the historic landing. US ally. Riyadh and its Sunni Arab Gulf neighbors have “I and the Saudi people are very pleased that you bristled at what they see as Washington’s tilt towards Mr President are visiting us,” Salman said at his Erga their regional rival Shiite Iran after Tehran’s landmark Palace before a two-hour meeting with Obama, who nuclear deal with world powers. Obama, making prob- responded that the United States was “very grateful ably his last visit to Riyadh as president, attends a sum- for your hospitality”. The kingdom’s official Saudi Press mit of Gulf leaders today hoping to focus on intensify- Agency gave no detail of the talks but said they ing the fight against the Islamic State group and included “combating terrorism”. Obama was to meet resolving the wars in Syria and Yemen. later with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh King Salman greeted the arriving Gulf leaders at a Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to see how to “rein- central Riyadh airbase but was not present when force cooperation to defeat the Islamic State group”, Obama landed at King Khalid International Airport in the White House said. the city’s north. It was a more low-key reception than Tensions between Riyadh and Washington have for Obama’s previous trip to the kingdom, after the increased sharply due to what Saudi Arabia sees as death of King Abdullah in January 2015. Then, Salman Obama’s disengagement from traditional US allies in along with his crown prince and deputy crown prince the region and opening towards Iran. Though the visit greeted Obama as a military band played. is being touted as an “alliance-building” effort, “it will After waving and walking down a red carpet on the just as likely highlight how far Washington and Riyadh stairs from Air Force One, he was greeted this time by have drifted apart in the past eight years,” Simon Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the governor of Riyadh, Henderson, of the Washington Institute for Near East and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir. Saudi state news Continued on Page 13 Houthis join peace talks in Kuwait SANAA: Yemen peace talks are to start today in Kuwait, the United Nations said, after rebels agreed to join the delayed negotia- tions following assurances pro-government forces would respect a ceasefire. “The Yemeni peace nego- tiations will start tomor- row in Kuwait under the auspices of the United Nations,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said from New York. A delega- tion of rebels left Yemen’s capital yesterday to join the talks saying the United Nations had assured them over the ceasefire. Representatives of the Houthi rebels and their allies boarded an Omani plane bound for Kuwait via Muscat, said a Sanaa airport official. The UN- brokered talks had been set to open in Kuwait on Monday but were put off after the Iran-backed insurgents failed to show up over alleged Saudi violations of the cease- fire, which took effect on April 11. Continued on Page 13 LOCAL THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah arrives to His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah awards a contestant. — KUNA photos attend a ceremony to honor winners of Kuwait’s International Quran Memorization and Recitation Competition. Crown Prince attends Quran awards ceremony Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yaqoub Al-Sane speaks at the event. A contestant receives his award from His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is honored during the event. KUWAIT: Under the patronage of His Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His ues of coexistence, tolerance, pluralism, and competition in which many competitors Highness the Amir Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber accepting the other. He congratulated the from around the world took part. Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Deputy Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the nation’s winners of this year’s competition, stressing He asked that everyone should follow the Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- ministers, governors and state senior offi- the need for shunning extremism and instructions of the Holy Quran in pursuing Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attended a cere- cials in the Army and the National Guard. embracing the true values of Islam and the that which is good in life and shunning that mony to honor winners of Kuwait’s In his speech at the event, Minister of Holy Quran. which is bad, stressing the need to embrace International Quran Memorization and Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic In a similar speech, Dr Mohammad tolerance and togetherness among all strata Recitation Competition, held at Bayan Affairs Yaqoub Al-Sane said that the compe- Mundekar, head of the panel of judges of the public. At the end of the ceremony Palace yesterday. tition and the awards ceremony have propa- selecting the winners, thanked His Highness His Highness Deputy Amir and Crown Prince The ceremony was also attended by gated the name of Kuwait and made it the Amir for his patronage and His Highness handed awards to this year’s winners of the Dr Mohammad Mundekar, head of the panel of judges National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- known to everyone that Kuwait sponsors the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince for annual competition which is currently in its selecting the winners makes his speech.