KUWAIT: Labor unions have already started petitions to demand compensation for employees following the government's decision to increase fuel prices. On that regard, two societies issued statements yesterday, only two days after the new prices went into effect, demanding financial bonuses to workers they represent.

The secretary general of the society of educational executives Bader Al-Hadram criticized the government on its decision to increase petrol prices, noting that this decision would negatively affect educational facilities' executives and public servants in general. Accordingly, Hadram urged the Minister of Education Bader Al-Essa to pay all educational facilities' executives at least KD 200 as petrol allowance.

Fishermen's demands

Meanwhile, Chairman of Kuwait Fishermen Union Thaher Al-Sowayyan stressed that it is high time fishermen's demands for subsidies and building a special village for them are met. Sowayyan urged the government to grant fishermen petrol subsidies and said that he had already written to the finance ministry a few months earlier, demanding such subsidies. Sowayyan added that fishermen pay 95 fils instead of 85 fils for 92-octane petrol and 115 fils instead of 105 fils for 95 octane petrol because the supplying company takes the difference in pay. "This is too much, taking into consideration the amount of petrol fishermen use to sail out and back," he underlined, warning that such price increases might lead to increasing the prices of shrimps and various fish. He also warned that many Kuwaiti fishermen were actually considering quitting fishing.

Sheep prices

With the advent of Eid Al-Adha, sheep prices seem to be increasing daily, said informed sources, noting that yesterday's prices were KD 120-150 for local 'Nuaimi' sheep, KD 90-130 for Jordanian and Syrian sheep, KD 70-90 for Georgian and Australian sheep and KD 70-100 for Iranian sheep.

By Meshaal Al-Enezi