Amid an ongoing labor strike, several navigational shipping agents are freezing operations at Ain Sokhna port and some exporters plan to file lawsuits to recoup losses incurred as a result of the unrest.
The strike began at the beginning of the month after port operator DP World ended its contract on 31 January with Platinum Maritime Services, which is a private staffing company. Workers at the port, fearing dismissal, went on strike to demand permanent employment with DP World.
Maher Adly, who works at the office of one of the navigational agents, said, "We closed our office due to the strike, which entered its 14th day without reaching a solution.”
He warned that ignoring workers' problems could damage the image of local ports internationally.
Abdallah Abdel Hamid, an importer who works out of Ain Sokhna port, said that he was suing Platinum Maritime Services and DP World due to his financial losses, warning that the economy would be affected by the ongoing strike.
Commanders of the Third Field Army in Suez have intensified efforts to end the strike, but negotiations with workers have yet to yield results. Workers rejected an offer to distribute them among five new companies, as well as an offer to be hired on temporary contracts.
Around 150 workers brought burial shrouds to the ports on Tuesday during their meeting with Armed Forces officials, while demanding that they either behired by DP World or shot rather than be forced to reopen the port and end the strike.
About 1,200 workers are employed by Platinum, representing 50 percent of the Ain Sokhna port's workforce.
Informed customs sources estimated losses due to the strike are around LE192 million.
Edited translation from MENA
