Dubai World reopens Ain al-Sokhna port in Egypt

Dubai World reopens Ain al-Sokhna port in Egypt

Dubai port operator DP World has reopened its Ain al-Sokhna port in Egypt after a temporary shutdown caused by labour strikes, the head of the Red Sea Ports Authority said on Monday.

September 26, 2011 2:27 by Reuters

“The port reopened midnight Sunday and one ship arrived at the container terminal Monday morning and two more ships are expected today,” General Mohamed Abdelkader Gaballah said.

Workers began a strike on Tuesday, costing DP World about 30 million Egyptian pounds ($5 million), to press for hardship allowances, wage restructuring and the dismissal of managers accused of mistreating employees.

Work resumed after negotiations between the company and the workers, Gaballah said.
“A committee was formed to review any further problems that might arise in the near future,” he said.

DP World agreed to the demands of workers and said it would pay hardship allowances within 15 days.

Sokhna, near the southern end of the Suez Canal, is Cairo’s main port for cargo from the Far East.

DP World is considered one of the more profitable assets of debt-laden Dubai World . The port operator is the world’s third largest and is 80-percent-owned by the state-linked conglomerate.

The firm temporarily suspended terminal operations at its Egyptian facility as a precautionary measure during the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year. ($1 = 5.9708 Egyptian pounds) (Reporting By Yusri Mohamed; Writing by Maha El Dahan; Editing by David Holmes)