More than 180 Bahrainis and around 1,120 Asian workers went on strike at one of Bahrain's leading contracting companies yesterday demanding better pay.

Staff at the Haji Hassan Group, based at two labour camps in Salmabad, refused to go to work at 8 am, making the company the 11th to suffer from industrial action in five weeks.

The strike is being led by the workers' trade union representative Abdulla Mirza, who said no one would return to work until their demands were met.

'We are demanding for our salaries to be revised until which we will not resume duty,' he said.

'We have gathered at one of the company's labour camps in Salmabad which houses most of the expatriate workforce.

'There are nearly 1,300 of us and all are on strike, both Bahrainis and expatriates. Of this, nearly 180 are Bahrainis but I represent both the groups.

'The kingdom's law itself says that there should not be any discrimination between Bahrainis and expatriates.

'So the Bahraini trade union is demanding the rights of the low-paid expatriate workers as well.'

Mirza claimed that expatriates, who do unskilled and semi-skilled jobs receive a basic salary ranging from BD50 to BD70.

The Bahraini staff, working as drivers and salesmen, receive BD200 and other allowances.

'Our demand is very simple. The salaries of the Bahrainis should be raised by 2.5 per cent every year starting from this year and the expatriate workers' salaries by BD25,' said Mirza.

'The company had earlier promised to raise Bahrainis' salaries by 2.5pc from January but nothing happened, even after waiting for more than two months.'

Mirza dismissed allegations that the expatriate workers were being held in the camp against their will and dubbed them as 'rumours'.

'None of the expatriate workers are being held against their will,' he said. 'We explained to them that we are fighting for their rights as well.

'The gates at the camp are not locked and anyone can check at anytime. Police are stationed here.'

Mirza said that the strike was peaceful, with no hint of violence. 'We are making our demand in a very peaceful way with no uproar or slogan-shouting,' he said.

Mirza said trade union representatives held a meeting with company officials at around 11am yesterday, but failed to reach an agreement.

'We discussed the issue with company officials for almost half-an-hour but they did not make any positive response,' said Mirza.

Labour Ministry officials arrived to speak with trade union representatives and agreed to resume talks today if no solution is reached by then. - TradeArabia News Service