Strike over as Al Hamad accepts worker demands

Thousands of striking workers for Al Hamad Contracting in Bahrain will return to work this morning after their demands for wages were met, according to sources within the company.

The workers, said to number between 5000 and 7000, yesterday called a mass strike claiming they had not been paid for two and a half months.

This morning a group of engineers and foremen from the company visited the Al Hamad labour camps and assured workers that they will be paid.

“We told them that one month’s salary was deposited in their accounts yesterday and they will get the remainder before the 20th of this month,” said an engineer.

“This is what the management of the company told us, they also said that from now on salaries will be paid before the 10th of every month.

“The workers were all very excited.”

Each of the workers earns a base salary of around US$185 (BHD 70) a month.

Yesterday many of them told Construction Week they called the strike out of desperation. They said they had no money left to buy food and could not support their families, many of which live in India.

Al Hamad is a Sharjah-based firm with a strong presence in Bahrain and is the main contractor on several major projects including Villamar Towers, Marina West and Reef Island.

Workers have reportedly begun to arrive on buses to all three sites after construction was ground to a halt by yesterday’s strike.

No official spokesperson for Al Hamad Contracting was available for comment.